(82,1,'2014-01-10 12:00:00','2014-01-10 17:00:00','At this point I think we\'ve established that<b> I\'m run-crazy </b>and I\'ve fallen in love with Obstacle Course Races. I\'ve only run one so far - the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/11/aroo-spartan-sprint-fenway-recap.html\" target=\"_blank\">Spartan Sprint at Fenway Park</a>...but that was all it took! One of my goals for this year is to run at least 5 OCR\'s, and I\'m well on my way so far!<br /><br />Most people are familiar with Obstacle Course Races like Tough Mudder and Spartan Race...but once you start looking, there\'s actually a lot of them out there. Some are big, some are small, some are long, some are short. Some are founded and put on by one or a few people, some are put on by military types. No matter the differences, they\'re all a lot of fun, and they all have their own unique challenges. Most of them involve mud, fire, water and a lot of sometimes intimidating physical exertion. I am now officially running a very different sort of OCR...it\'s called <a href=\"http://www.smithfestruns.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Blizzard Blast</a>...and instead of mud and fire, I\'ll be facing (hopefully) snow and cold!<br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mUZplu8Ssf8/Us9yWaEOJsI/AAAAAAAAGL0/AtlkwuYMijM/s1600/26639_320972704676948_1386258176_n.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mUZplu8Ssf8/Us9yWaEOJsI/AAAAAAAAGL0/AtlkwuYMijM/s1600/26639_320972704676948_1386258176_n.png\" height=\"236\" width=\"400\" />&nbsp;</a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\">I have to say, I\'ve been tirelessly scouring social media and, really, the internet in general looking for races to run to further my mission of the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/12/lose-your-limits-challenge-2014.html\" target=\"_blank\">Lose Your Limits Challenge</a>...and this race was different from all the others I found. There are many unique Obstacle Course Races out there, and this is one of them!&nbsp; As I said, most OCR\'s feature lots of mud, some fire, water obstacles, and some serious physical challenges. Some races even feature electrical obstacles, some freaky mind-game challenges, and the like. For a start...this race does not seem to feature mud, water or fire...it\'s too cold! Instead, there\'s SNOW. Yes, an obstacle race involving, featuring, and with obstacles designed around SNOW. Good luck finding a race like this in California or Texas...welcome to New England, kids. </div><br />Like many other OCR\'s, when you browse <a href=\"http://www.smithfestruns.com/\" target=\"_blank\">their website</a> they don\'t give away much in terms of what <br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0-kuDm4gnMs/Us9zmjdVN_I/AAAAAAAAGME/mfywwPsBcSM/s1600/73359_353905568050328_1619214790_n.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0-kuDm4gnMs/Us9zmjdVN_I/AAAAAAAAGME/mfywwPsBcSM/s1600/73359_353905568050328_1619214790_n.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"265\" /></a></div>the obstacles are. I\'ve got the gist of it - 5K obstacle race in the (hopefully) snowy cold. From pictures, there\'s going to be at least some wall climbs, obviously there will be some running involved from obstacle to obstacle, there will probably be some sort of climbing obstacle and maybe some over-unders...but honestly, I really don\'t know what to expect in terms of obstacles. I also don\'t know what the weather will do to an event like this. I\'m hearing this coming weekend (one week before the race) will be warm and rainy...the snow-killer. I DO know that, worst case scenario, these guys will BRING IN snow in order to make some of the specifically snow-based obstacles work. Just like a ski mountain, they make it happen regardless of nature. Obviously it\'s best for this race if nature cooperates and dumps a fresh pile of the fluffy white stuff before race-day, but no snow does NOT mean no event.THAT\'S a \"the show must go on\" level of dedication...I LIKE IT!<br /><br />This race also seems to be pretty family-friendly. I\'m not sure why I get that vibe, but I do. Remember how I mentioned some OCR\'s use electrical obstacles and other similarly intimidating, mind-gamey stuff? This event does not seem to have that. Looking at pictures on their site, it doesn\'t look like it\'s a \"hardcore\", \"AROO\", \"this is the toughest event on the planet\" kind of thing...and there is NOTHING wrong with that. It\'s nice to have an event that makes itself accessible to a wider audience. Some of the most well-known OCR\'s out there market themselves as incredibly difficult and life-threatening...but if Blizzard Blast shows us anything, it\'s that the FUN FACTOR, and not necessarily the life-threatening challenge to survive, can be a good reason to participate in an<b> </b>event. <br /><br />In a sea of sameness, it\'s refreshing to see a creative event like this. I have to say, this was more or less a last-minute entry for me, but I\'m REALLY excited! Before I registered for this, my next race was going to be 2/16/14, so it\'s nice to get a race 3 weeks early! I know the race is really soon, but I\'d LOVE to see some of you join me! You can register at www.smithfestevents.com - click the \"join a team\" registration button and join Team \"So THIS Is Fitness...\" - then during checkout, use coupon code STIF10 to save $10! Yeah, they made a coupon code just for the \"So THIS Is Fitness...\" family! How ya like that?! The price jumps tonight at midnight (1/10/14 at 11:59 PM Eastern), so I urge you to make a speedy decision (and go for it!). It\'d be nice to have some company during this unique event!<br /><br />Again, that information:<br />site: www.SmithFestRuns.com<br />Team: \"So THIS Is Fitness...\"<br />Date: 1/25/14<br />Place: Four Oaks Coun­try Club<br />1 Club­house Lane<br />Dra­cut, <span>MA</span>&nbsp;01826<br />Wave Time: 11:00 am<br />What do you get? A long sleeve event t-shirt, finisher\'s medal, free beer ticket (for 21+), free soup/chowder/chili ticket, post-race party and more! Plus, obviously, tons of fun and the satisfaction of completing a great, challenging, unique event! <br /><br />I urge you to check this out and give it a go! If I can do it, you can do it! Let\'s run together! <b>Why Not? :)</b>','Hot And Muddy? Try Cold And Snowy....','','publish','open','open','','hot-and-muddy-try-cold-and-snowy','','','2017-01-08 20:57:00','2017-01-09 01:57:00','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=82',0,'post','',0);
INSERT INTO `wp_ryff_posts` VALUES (83,1,'2014-01-07 11:42:00','2014-01-07 16:42:00','Yesterday, I woke up at 8 am on a cold early-January morning to get myself in gear, have some coffee, and get ready to chug my way along through 4.9 miles in the snowy, slushy, wet cold of Monument Beach, MA. Many people would think I\'m a nut and tell me to go back to bed. Many people would wonder what in the hell would possess me to go running in the snow. Others would call me a sicko for saying that it was \"ONLY\" 5 miles. <b>Bottom line</b>...many people look at me and ask...<br /><br /><b>Why do it?</b><br /><b></b><br />It\'s a question I\'ve been learning the answer to as I\'ve gone along. The answer has changed over time. For this Transformation Tuesday...the first of 2014...I want to give you an idea of just how yesterday\'s race went...<b>why</b> I do this...why I <b>started</b> doing this...and why I\'ll <b>keep </b>doing it. Hopefully my transformation will inspire you to begin yours :). <br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-icCssMcGVs0/Urgx-WsctrI/AAAAAAAAGF8/S_7uCJ_tcRY/s1600/IMG_8095.JPG\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-icCssMcGVs0/Urgx-WsctrI/AAAAAAAAGF8/S_7uCJ_tcRY/s1600/IMG_8095.JPG\" height=\"298\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SJsWGtZtjdY/UsqQ3p2xkDI/AAAAAAAAGJ8/E2HHdlKDgw4/s1600/IMG_20140105_111405489.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SJsWGtZtjdY/UsqQ3p2xkDI/AAAAAAAAGJ8/E2HHdlKDgw4/s1600/IMG_20140105_111405489.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"225\" /></a><b>Sunday was </b>the 34th annual Cape Cod Road Runners\' Winter Fun Run. Thanks again to my friends at <a href=\"http://haircutmeneastfalmouthma.com/\" target=\"_blank\">SportClips Falmouth</a> for sponsoring me (check them out)! I have to say, despite the conditions, I DID have a good time.That\'s a photo from last year\'s race (above). I don\'t have a TON of pictures since my phone was in my <a href=\"http://www.tunebelt.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Tune Belt</a> and my mom doesn\'t have a digital camera...I guess I didn\'t have the presence of mind to bring my digital camera along for her to use. <br /><br /><b>Anyway</b> - I had fun. While getting ready and stretching and whatnot I violated one of the cardinal rules of running - <b>nothing new on race day</b>. What was new, you ask? <b>THE SHOES!</b> Yeah, seriously...I couldn\'t have picked something more \"don\'t do that\" to do. <b>Why?</b> It was gross out on the roads and I was nervous that I\'d either take a digger (fall) or at the very least have to slow WAY down. So...I switched to my BRAND NEW New Balance 610 trail shoes. For the first couple of miles, I was  a little wary...I was kind of kicking myself and hoping they didn\'t  aggravate my feet or leave me sore. Once I got past the two mile marker, however, <b>I was instantly glad I wore them</b>. All of a sudden the road got very hilly and had lots of snow and slush. Thanks to having some grip, I was able to maintain my pace and not eat pavement. <b>Yay.</b></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><br /></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ywud4Jo3Rfg/UsqSNbF-p4I/AAAAAAAAGKI/uWQNcPE4ALU/s1600/fuel.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ywud4Jo3Rfg/UsqSNbF-p4I/AAAAAAAAGKI/uWQNcPE4ALU/s1600/fuel.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"320\" /></a><b>I ended up doing way better than I anticipated</b>. I was CRUISING along.&nbsp;<b> </b>Almost every time I was going to stop running and walk for a minute, <b>I just kept going. </b>I only slowed or stopped a handful of times, and honestly...I don\'t know that I really needed to...I think that\'s just a mental hurdle I need to get past. I think part of why I was able to go so strong was because I had fueled properly. I had a <a href=\"http://healthwarrior.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Health Warrior Chia Bar</a> about 20 minutes before race start (in addition to a light race-day breakfast a few hours earlier) and let me just tell you...those little bars are <b>awesome</b>. There\'s a review article coming, but the short version is they\'re so <b>crazy packed</b> with nutrients and fuel, they\'re the perfect way to kick-start your run. No, they are not paying me to say that. <br />At the end of it all, I came in 99th place, and finished, officially, in 39:45. <b>That\'s ridiculous.</b> How did I <b>do</b> that? And...I got quite the surprise during the awards ceremony - I got 3rd place in the Open age division! Seriously?<b> How</b> did I place in my age group? Isn\'t my age group the one that <b>goes fast</b>? It\'s 19 - 29! How am I placing? Whatever, I\'ll take it! I\'ll only get a few of those, right? Might as well enjoy it!<br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>So...all of this begs the question - why do it?</b></span></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><br /></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\">Like I said, the answer to this question has changed over time for me. In terms of fitness in general... my reason began as a desperate need to make a positive life change and get healthy. Now that I <b>AM </b>healthy and fit... my reason has become... that I enjoy fitness and want to maintain where I\'m at.</div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X1hWVdPG1oI/UsuZJWsW_jI/AAAAAAAAGKk/PTSZQnQqfz4/s1600/ffrunning.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X1hWVdPG1oI/UsuZJWsW_jI/AAAAAAAAGKk/PTSZQnQqfz4/s1600/ffrunning.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"284\" /></a></div>But... <b>running</b>... I don\'t even really remember why Megan and I <i>did</i> that first run. It might have been to see if we could do it at all. It might have been because we had come so far in our fitness, we wanted to see if our new abilities extended to running. It might have been to test ourselves. Or it might have just been because...well...<i><b>why not? </b></i>Whatever the reason...I\'m damn glad we did it. It opened my eyes to a whole new world of fitness...and it allowed me to find an activity...a SPORT...that I truly enjoy. <br /><br />Running is about more than just long (or short) distances and going fast. You have to learn your body, be <i>in tune </i>with it. You have to understand your body\'s wants and needs and tend to them properly. You have <b>no choice</b> but to fuel your body appropriately and treat it right...otherwise it won\'t perform properly and you <b>won\'t be having fun</b>. Running teaches you how to take care of yourself and be truly healthy, inside and out. <br /><br />Running is also...well...kind of peaceful. Y\'know, once you get past the monotony, boredom, and jaw-rattling pounding across the pavement. The first mile or two sucks, but once you get in a rhythm...it really is nice. One thing I\'ve come to appreciate with some of these races is the absolutely incredible scenery. For the majority of the Cape Cod Marathon Half...I was staring at beach and the ocean! Beautiful views, scenic vistas, and just <b>nature</b>. There\'s something to be said for taking \"me time\"...and running certainly provides that. <br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c6CQ6zp7O_Y/UsuY1H6VFKI/AAAAAAAAGKc/ehNYp8VyefA/s1600/aftert25back2back.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c6CQ6zp7O_Y/UsuY1H6VFKI/AAAAAAAAGKc/ehNYp8VyefA/s1600/aftert25back2back.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"198\" /></a></div><br />On top of all of that...I do this so <b>I can enjoy a better, longer, happier life</b>. Health and fitness, for me, is about longevity and quality of life. <b>I feel so much better</b> now than I did when I was 300 lbs. Gee, that kinda makes sense, huh? I don\'t get winded going up a flight of stairs. I have so much more ENERGY now. My thighs don\'t rub together and chafe. I don\'t feel embarrassed about my body. <b>Clothing fits me properly</b>. Imagine that. The immediate benefits are simply STUNNING.<br /><br />The long-term benefits are great too. I have been told by a number of doctors that <b>I saved my own life</b> by losing 125 lbs. I have not escaped unscathed though - my knee cartilage is damaged from having carried so much extra weight for so long, and my feet are out of whack as well - plantar fasciitis, metatarsal periositis, and some other issues (to name a few). <b>What if I hadn\'t lost the weight?</b> What if I reached 40 and still had that extra weight on me? <b>For another 15 years?</b> Would I need a knee replacement by 60? Would I be in a wheelchair? Would I get diabetes? <b>Maybe</b>. At least now I know I have SIGNIFICANTLY reduced the odds of that happening. <br /><br />I\'ll be around longer for Megan, my kids, my family, my friends. I\'ll be able to <b>enjoy </b>my years rather than wasting away, becoming a bitter old man disgruntled with my lot in life. I\'ll be happy, healthy, energetic, and fit. <b>That is worth its weight in gold</b>, but by the time you reach that age...it\'s too late. <b><br /><br />That\'s why </b>I do this. That\'s why I get up at the crack of dawn, haul myself out of bed, and get ready for a workout. <b>That\'s why </b>I go running in the snow, slush, and frigid weather. <b>That\'s why headlamps and reflective gear </b>for runners exists. Because it\'s fun. Because <b>we enjoy it</b>. Becaues <b>it makes us happy. </b><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aqce_JPWhMQ/UsubdlYGmeI/AAAAAAAAGK0/NszU25ihyks/s1600/aftert25front.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aqce_JPWhMQ/UsubdlYGmeI/AAAAAAAAGK0/NszU25ihyks/s1600/aftert25front.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><b>That\'s why </b>I\'m putting in the work now and making the change. Because <b>now is the time! Because it makes me happy. Because the guy on the right looks way better than the guy on the left. </b>(Check out the <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">\"My Transformation\"</a> page for the new update from the completion of Focus T25!)<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><b><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RaTf1zgeDQ8/UsuiS6kxIUI/AAAAAAAAGLE/Qg4dYVLT9kA/s1600/whydoit.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RaTf1zgeDQ8/UsuiS6kxIUI/AAAAAAAAGLE/Qg4dYVLT9kA/s1600/whydoit.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"320\" /></a></b></div><b><br />What\'s YOUR reason? </b>','Why Do It? (Plus Fun Run Recap)','','publish','open','open','','why-do-it-plus-fun-run-recap','','','2017-01-18 07:45:33','2017-01-18 12:45:33','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=83',0,'post','',0),(711,1,'2017-01-15 08:08:16','2017-01-15 13:08:16','Yesterday, I woke up at 8 am on a cold early-January morning to get myself in gear, have some coffee, and get ready to chug my way along through 4.9 miles in the snowy, slushy, wet cold of Monument Beach, MA. Many people would think I\'m a nut and tell me to go back to bed. Many people would wonder what in the hell would possess me to go running in the snow. Others would call me a sicko for saying that it was \"ONLY\" 5 miles. <b>Bottom line</b>...many people look at me and ask...<br /><br /><b>Why do it?</b><br /><b></b><br />It\'s a question I\'ve been learning the answer to as I\'ve gone along. The answer has changed over time. For this Transformation Tuesday...the first of 2014...I want to give you an idea of just how yesterday\'s race went...<b>why</b> I do this...why I <b>started</b> doing this...and why I\'ll <b>keep </b>doing it. Hopefully my transformation will inspire you to begin yours :). <br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-icCssMcGVs0/Urgx-WsctrI/AAAAAAAAGF8/S_7uCJ_tcRY/s1600/IMG_8095.JPG\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-icCssMcGVs0/Urgx-WsctrI/AAAAAAAAGF8/S_7uCJ_tcRY/s1600/IMG_8095.JPG\" height=\"298\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SJsWGtZtjdY/UsqQ3p2xkDI/AAAAAAAAGJ8/E2HHdlKDgw4/s1600/IMG_20140105_111405489.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SJsWGtZtjdY/UsqQ3p2xkDI/AAAAAAAAGJ8/E2HHdlKDgw4/s1600/IMG_20140105_111405489.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"225\" /></a><b>Sunday was </b>the 34th annual Cape Cod Road Runners\' Winter Fun Run. Thanks again to my friends at <a href=\"http://haircutmeneastfalmouthma.com/\" target=\"_blank\">SportClips Falmouth</a> for sponsoring me (check them out)! I have to say, despite the conditions, I DID have a good time.That\'s a photo from last year\'s race (above). I don\'t have a TON of pictures since my phone was in my <a href=\"http://www.tunebelt.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Tune Belt</a> and my mom doesn\'t have a digital camera...I guess I didn\'t have the presence of mind to bring my digital camera along for her to use. <br /><br /><b>Anyway</b> - I had fun. While getting ready and stretching and whatnot I violated one of the cardinal rules of running - <b>nothing new on race day</b>. What was new, you ask? <b>THE SHOES!</b> Yeah, seriously...I couldn\'t have picked something more \"don\'t do that\" to do. <b>Why?</b> It was gross out on the roads and I was nervous that I\'d either take a digger (fall) or at the very least have to slow WAY down. So...I switched to my BRAND NEW New Balance 610 trail shoes. For the first couple of miles, I was  a little wary...I was kind of kicking myself and hoping they didn\'t  aggravate my feet or leave me sore. Once I got past the two mile marker, however, <b>I was instantly glad I wore them</b>. All of a sudden the road got very hilly and had lots of snow and slush. Thanks to having some grip, I was able to maintain my pace and not eat pavement. <b>Yay.</b></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><br /></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ywud4Jo3Rfg/UsqSNbF-p4I/AAAAAAAAGKI/uWQNcPE4ALU/s1600/fuel.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ywud4Jo3Rfg/UsqSNbF-p4I/AAAAAAAAGKI/uWQNcPE4ALU/s1600/fuel.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"320\" /></a><b>I ended up doing way better than I anticipated</b>. I was CRUISING along.&nbsp;<b> </b>Almost every time I was going to stop running and walk for a minute, <b>I just kept going. </b>I only slowed or stopped a handful of times, and honestly...I don\'t know that I really needed to...I think that\'s just a mental hurdle I need to get past. I think part of why I was able to go so strong was because I had fueled properly. I had a <a href=\"http://healthwarrior.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Health Warrior Chia Bar</a> about 20 minutes before race start (in addition to a light race-day breakfast a few hours earlier) and let me just tell you...those little bars are <b>awesome</b>. There\'s a review article coming, but the short version is they\'re so <b>crazy packed</b> with nutrients and fuel, they\'re the perfect way to kick-start your run. No, they are not paying me to say that. <br />At the end of it all, I came in 99th place, and finished, officially, in 39:45. <b>That\'s ridiculous.</b> How did I <b>do</b> that? And...I got quite the surprise during the awards ceremony - I got 3rd place in the Open age division! Seriously?<b> How</b> did I place in my age group? Isn\'t my age group the one that <b>goes fast</b>? It\'s 19 - 29! How am I placing? Whatever, I\'ll take it! I\'ll only get a few of those, right? Might as well enjoy it!<br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>So...all of this begs the question - why do it?</b></span></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><br /></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\">Like I said, the answer to this question has changed over time for me. In terms of fitness in general... my reason began as a desperate need to make a positive life change and get healthy. Now that I <b>AM </b>healthy and fit... my reason has become... that I enjoy fitness and want to maintain where I\'m at.</div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X1hWVdPG1oI/UsuZJWsW_jI/AAAAAAAAGKk/PTSZQnQqfz4/s1600/ffrunning.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X1hWVdPG1oI/UsuZJWsW_jI/AAAAAAAAGKk/PTSZQnQqfz4/s1600/ffrunning.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"284\" /></a></div>But... <b>running</b>... I don\'t even really remember why Megan and I <i>did</i> that first run. It might have been to see if we could do it at all. It might have been because we had come so far in our fitness, we wanted to see if our new abilities extended to running. It might have been to test ourselves. Or it might have just been because...well...<i><b>why not? </b></i>Whatever the reason...I\'m damn glad we did it. It opened my eyes to a whole new world of fitness...and it allowed me to find an activity...a SPORT...that I truly enjoy. <br /><br />Running is about more than just long (or short) distances and going fast. You have to learn your body, be <i>in tune </i>with it. You have to understand your body\'s wants and needs and tend to them properly. You have <b>no choice</b> but to fuel your body appropriately and treat it right...otherwise it won\'t perform properly and you <b>won\'t be having fun</b>. Running teaches you how to take care of yourself and be truly healthy, inside and out. <br /><br />Running is also...well...kind of peaceful. Y\'know, once you get past the monotony, boredom, and jaw-rattling pounding across the pavement. The first mile or two sucks, but once you get in a rhythm...it really is nice. One thing I\'ve come to appreciate with some of these races is the absolutely incredible scenery. For the majority of the Cape Cod Marathon Half...I was staring at beach and the ocean! Beautiful views, scenic vistas, and just <b>nature</b>. There\'s something to be said for taking \"me time\"...and running certainly provides that. <br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c6CQ6zp7O_Y/UsuY1H6VFKI/AAAAAAAAGKc/ehNYp8VyefA/s1600/aftert25back2back.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c6CQ6zp7O_Y/UsuY1H6VFKI/AAAAAAAAGKc/ehNYp8VyefA/s1600/aftert25back2back.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"198\" /></a></div><br />On top of all of that...I do this so <b>I can enjoy a better, longer, happier life</b>. Health and fitness, for me, is about longevity and quality of life. <b>I feel so much better</b> now than I did when I was 300 lbs. Gee, that kinda makes sense, huh? I don\'t get winded going up a flight of stairs. I have so much more ENERGY now. My thighs don\'t rub together and chafe. I don\'t feel embarrassed about my body. <b>Clothing fits me properly</b>. Imagine that. The immediate benefits are simply STUNNING.<br /><br />The long-term benefits are great too. I have been told by a number of doctors that <b>I saved my own life</b> by losing 125 lbs. I have not escaped unscathed though - my knee cartilage is damaged from having carried so much extra weight for so long, and my feet are out of whack as well - plantar fasciitis, metatarsal periositis, and some other issues (to name a few). <b>What if I hadn\'t lost the weight?</b> What if I reached 40 and still had that extra weight on me? <b>For another 15 years?</b> Would I need a knee replacement by 60? Would I be in a wheelchair? Would I get diabetes? <b>Maybe</b>. At least now I know I have SIGNIFICANTLY reduced the odds of that happening. <br /><br />I\'ll be around longer for Megan, my kids, my family, my friends. I\'ll be able to <b>enjoy </b>my years rather than wasting away, becoming a bitter old man disgruntled with my lot in life. I\'ll be happy, healthy, energetic, and fit. <b>That is worth its weight in gold</b>, but by the time you reach that age...it\'s too late. <b><br /><br />That\'s why </b>I do this. That\'s why I get up at the crack of dawn, haul myself out of bed, and get ready for a workout. <b>That\'s why </b>I go running in the snow, slush, and frigid weather. <b>That\'s why headlamps and reflective gear </b>for runners exists. Because it\'s fun. Because <b>we enjoy it</b>. Becaues <b>it makes us happy. </b><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aqce_JPWhMQ/UsubdlYGmeI/AAAAAAAAGK0/NszU25ihyks/s1600/aftert25front.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aqce_JPWhMQ/UsubdlYGmeI/AAAAAAAAGK0/NszU25ihyks/s1600/aftert25front.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><b>That\'s why </b>I\'m putting in the work now and making the change. Because <b>now is the time! Because it makes me happy. Because the guy on the right looks way better than the guy on the left. </b>(Check out the <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">\"My Transformation\"</a> page for the new update from the completion of Focus T25!)<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><b><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RaTf1zgeDQ8/UsuiS6kxIUI/AAAAAAAAGLE/Qg4dYVLT9kA/s1600/whydoit.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RaTf1zgeDQ8/UsuiS6kxIUI/AAAAAAAAGLE/Qg4dYVLT9kA/s1600/whydoit.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"320\" /></a></b></div><b><br />What\'s YOUR reason? </b>','Why Do It? (Plus Fun Run Recap)','','inherit','closed','closed','','83-revision-v1','','','2017-01-15 08:08:16','2017-01-15 13:08:16','',83,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/01/83-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(671,1,'2017-01-14 22:05:27','2017-01-15 03:05:27','Yesterday, I woke up at 8 am on a cold early-January morning to get myself in gear, have some coffee, and get ready to chug my way along through 4.9 miles in the snowy, slushy, wet cold of Monument Beach, MA. Many people would think I\'m a nut and tell me to go back to bed. Many people would wonder what in the hell would possess me to go running in the snow. Others would call me a sicko for saying that it was \"ONLY\" 5 miles. <b>Bottom line</b>...many people look at me and ask...<br /><br /><b>Why do it?</b><br /><b></b><br />It\'s a question I\'ve been learning the answer to as I\'ve gone along. The answer has changed over time. For this Transformation Tuesday...the first of 2014...I want to give you an idea of just how yesterday\'s race went...<b>why</b> I do this...why I <b>started</b> doing this...and why I\'ll <b>keep </b>doing it. Hopefully my transformation will inspire you to begin yours :). <br /><a href=\"https://www.blogger.com/null\" name=\"more\"></a><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-icCssMcGVs0/Urgx-WsctrI/AAAAAAAAGF8/S_7uCJ_tcRY/s1600/IMG_8095.JPG\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-icCssMcGVs0/Urgx-WsctrI/AAAAAAAAGF8/S_7uCJ_tcRY/s1600/IMG_8095.JPG\" height=\"298\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SJsWGtZtjdY/UsqQ3p2xkDI/AAAAAAAAGJ8/E2HHdlKDgw4/s1600/IMG_20140105_111405489.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SJsWGtZtjdY/UsqQ3p2xkDI/AAAAAAAAGJ8/E2HHdlKDgw4/s1600/IMG_20140105_111405489.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"225\" /></a><b>Sunday was </b>the 34th annual Cape Cod Road Runners\' Winter Fun Run. Thanks again to my friends at <a href=\"http://haircutmeneastfalmouthma.com/\" target=\"_blank\">SportClips Falmouth</a> for sponsoring me (check them out)! I have to say, despite the conditions, I DID have a good time.That\'s a photo from last year\'s race (above). I don\'t have a TON of pictures since my phone was in my <a href=\"http://www.tunebelt.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Tune Belt</a> and my mom doesn\'t have a digital camera...I guess I didn\'t have the presence of mind to bring my digital camera along for her to use. <br /><br /><b>Anyway</b> - I had fun. While getting ready and stretching and whatnot I violated one of the cardinal rules of running - <b>nothing new on race day</b>. What was new, you ask? <b>THE SHOES!</b> Yeah, seriously...I couldn\'t have picked something more \"don\'t do that\" to do. <b>Why?</b> It was gross out on the roads and I was nervous that I\'d either take a digger (fall) or at the very least have to slow WAY down. So...I switched to my BRAND NEW New Balance 610 trail shoes. For the first couple of miles, I was  a little wary...I was kind of kicking myself and hoping they didn\'t  aggravate my feet or leave me sore. Once I got past the two mile marker, however, <b>I was instantly glad I wore them</b>. All of a sudden the road got very hilly and had lots of snow and slush. Thanks to having some grip, I was able to maintain my pace and not eat pavement. <b>Yay.</b></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><br /></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ywud4Jo3Rfg/UsqSNbF-p4I/AAAAAAAAGKI/uWQNcPE4ALU/s1600/fuel.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ywud4Jo3Rfg/UsqSNbF-p4I/AAAAAAAAGKI/uWQNcPE4ALU/s1600/fuel.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"320\" /></a><b>I ended up doing way better than I anticipated</b>. I was CRUISING along.&nbsp;<b> </b>Almost every time I was going to stop running and walk for a minute, <b>I just kept going. </b>I only slowed or stopped a handful of times, and honestly...I don\'t know that I really needed to...I think that\'s just a mental hurdle I need to get past. I think part of why I was able to go so strong was because I had fueled properly. I had a <a href=\"http://healthwarrior.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Health Warrior Chia Bar</a> about 20 minutes before race start (in addition to a light race-day breakfast a few hours earlier) and let me just tell you...those little bars are <b>awesome</b>. There\'s a review article coming, but the short version is they\'re so <b>crazy packed</b> with nutrients and fuel, they\'re the perfect way to kick-start your run. No, they are not paying me to say that. <br />At the end of it all, I came in 99th place, and finished, officially, in 39:45. <b>That\'s ridiculous.</b> How did I <b>do</b> that? And...I got quite the surprise during the awards ceremony - I got 3rd place in the Open age division! Seriously?<b> How</b> did I place in my age group? Isn\'t my age group the one that <b>goes fast</b>? It\'s 19 - 29! How am I placing? Whatever, I\'ll take it! I\'ll only get a few of those, right? Might as well enjoy it!<br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>So...all of this begs the question - why do it?</b></span></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><br /></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\">Like I said, the answer to this question has changed over time for me. In terms of fitness in general... my reason began as a desperate need to make a positive life change and get healthy. Now that I <b>AM </b>healthy and fit... my reason has become... that I enjoy fitness and want to maintain where I\'m at.</div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X1hWVdPG1oI/UsuZJWsW_jI/AAAAAAAAGKk/PTSZQnQqfz4/s1600/ffrunning.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X1hWVdPG1oI/UsuZJWsW_jI/AAAAAAAAGKk/PTSZQnQqfz4/s1600/ffrunning.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"284\" /></a></div>But... <b>running</b>... I don\'t even really remember why Megan and I <i>did</i> that first run. It might have been to see if we could do it at all. It might have been because we had come so far in our fitness, we wanted to see if our new abilities extended to running. It might have been to test ourselves. Or it might have just been because...well...<i><b>why not? </b></i>Whatever the reason...I\'m damn glad we did it. It opened my eyes to a whole new world of fitness...and it allowed me to find an activity...a SPORT...that I truly enjoy. <br /><br />Running is about more than just long (or short) distances and going fast. You have to learn your body, be <i>in tune </i>with it. You have to understand your body\'s wants and needs and tend to them properly. You have <b>no choice</b> but to fuel your body appropriately and treat it right...otherwise it won\'t perform properly and you <b>won\'t be having fun</b>. Running teaches you how to take care of yourself and be truly healthy, inside and out. <br /><br />Running is also...well...kind of peaceful. Y\'know, once you get past the monotony, boredom, and jaw-rattling pounding across the pavement. The first mile or two sucks, but once you get in a rhythm...it really is nice. One thing I\'ve come to appreciate with some of these races is the absolutely incredible scenery. For the majority of the Cape Cod Marathon Half...I was staring at beach and the ocean! Beautiful views, scenic vistas, and just <b>nature</b>. There\'s something to be said for taking \"me time\"...and running certainly provides that. <br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c6CQ6zp7O_Y/UsuY1H6VFKI/AAAAAAAAGKc/ehNYp8VyefA/s1600/aftert25back2back.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c6CQ6zp7O_Y/UsuY1H6VFKI/AAAAAAAAGKc/ehNYp8VyefA/s1600/aftert25back2back.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"198\" /></a></div><br />On top of all of that...I do this so <b>I can enjoy a better, longer, happier life</b>. Health and fitness, for me, is about longevity and quality of life. <b>I feel so much better</b> now than I did when I was 300 lbs. Gee, that kinda makes sense, huh? I don\'t get winded going up a flight of stairs. I have so much more ENERGY now. My thighs don\'t rub together and chafe. I don\'t feel embarrassed about my body. <b>Clothing fits me properly</b>. Imagine that. The immediate benefits are simply STUNNING.<br /><br />The long-term benefits are great too. I have been told by a number of doctors that <b>I saved my own life</b> by losing 125 lbs. I have not escaped unscathed though - my knee cartilage is damaged from having carried so much extra weight for so long, and my feet are out of whack as well - plantar fasciitis, metatarsal periositis, and some other issues (to name a few). <b>What if I hadn\'t lost the weight?</b> What if I reached 40 and still had that extra weight on me? <b>For another 15 years?</b> Would I need a knee replacement by 60? Would I be in a wheelchair? Would I get diabetes? <b>Maybe</b>. At least now I know I have SIGNIFICANTLY reduced the odds of that happening. <br /><br />I\'ll be around longer for Megan, my kids, my family, my friends. I\'ll be able to <b>enjoy </b>my years rather than wasting away, becoming a bitter old man disgruntled with my lot in life. I\'ll be happy, healthy, energetic, and fit. <b>That is worth its weight in gold</b>, but by the time you reach that age...it\'s too late. <b><br /><br />That\'s why </b>I do this. That\'s why I get up at the crack of dawn, haul myself out of bed, and get ready for a workout. <b>That\'s why </b>I go running in the snow, slush, and frigid weather. <b>That\'s why headlamps and reflective gear </b>for runners exists. Because it\'s fun. Because <b>we enjoy it</b>. Becaues <b>it makes us happy. </b><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aqce_JPWhMQ/UsubdlYGmeI/AAAAAAAAGK0/NszU25ihyks/s1600/aftert25front.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aqce_JPWhMQ/UsubdlYGmeI/AAAAAAAAGK0/NszU25ihyks/s1600/aftert25front.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><b>That\'s why </b>I\'m putting in the work now and making the change. Because <b>now is the time! Because it makes me happy. Because the guy on the right looks way better than the guy on the left. </b>(Check out the <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">\"My Transformation\"</a> page for the new update from the completion of Focus T25!)<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><b><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RaTf1zgeDQ8/UsuiS6kxIUI/AAAAAAAAGLE/Qg4dYVLT9kA/s1600/whydoit.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RaTf1zgeDQ8/UsuiS6kxIUI/AAAAAAAAGLE/Qg4dYVLT9kA/s1600/whydoit.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"320\" /></a></b></div><b><br />What\'s YOUR reason? </b>','Why Do It? (Plus Fun Run Recap)','','inherit','closed','closed','','83-revision-v1','','','2017-01-14 22:05:27','2017-01-15 03:05:27','',83,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/01/83-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(84,1,'2014-01-01 04:58:00','2014-01-01 09:58:00','I know, this is gonna be another one of those corny \"I\'m reflecting on an amazing year\" posts, right? <br /><br /><b>...maybe...</b><br /><br /><b>But...</b>I mean...<b>COME ON!</b> When your life changes THAT MUCH in the course of ONE year...you\'re allowed to have a post like that...(excuse me while I go pout and cross my arms in the corner). <br /><br />Really though...2013 has been incredibly life-changing for me! So many things have happened, so many things have improved...And I never in a MILLION years would\'ve <b>ever </b>thought <b>any </b>of it could happen to me.<br /><br /><b>News Flash: </b>If it can happen for me...it can happen for <b>anyone</b>.<br /><br /><a href=\"http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11554363/?claim=tn8ees7ud8b\">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a><br /><a name=\'more\'></a>So what are some of these ridiculous milestones I hit and changes I made in 2013?<br /><br /><b>Weight, for one</b>. <br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rjvzQd77Pjw/UegcZqAK2SI/AAAAAAAAA2k/BnyZWorX2uw/s1600/2012-07-25_09-00-15_455.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rjvzQd77Pjw/UegcZqAK2SI/AAAAAAAAA2k/BnyZWorX2uw/s320/2012-07-25_09-00-15_455.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"180\" /></a></div><br />I got back down under 250 lbs for the first time in years, and for the first time I can remember...I broke 200 lbs! I feel so disgusted with myself saying it, but I honest to God cannot remember, prior to 2013, when I last was 200 lbs or lighter. Probably middle school. Yeah...about that...<br /><br />I\'m now sitting at about 175 lbs, and a LOT of it is muscle. How do I know? <b>I can see it</b>. There\'s another something I\'ve never been able to do...see my own muscle! <b>Imagine that</b>. <br /><br /><b>What about this \"running\" thing?</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GJxqwdI2ffI/Um3glwJ8W3I/AAAAAAAAB7o/GozBLla5nSU/s1600/IMG_20131026_094154_638.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GJxqwdI2ffI/Um3glwJ8W3I/AAAAAAAAB7o/GozBLla5nSU/s320/IMG_20131026_094154_638.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"180\" /></a></div><b>Oh, </b>right...<b>that</b>. The first time I ever \"went for a run\" happened in 2013 - March 23rd. I remember it vividly...three loops around Megan\'s neighborhood...3.25 miles. wow...some first run, huh? My first 5K happened early May, my first 10K on July 3rd...and my first Falmouth Road Race (7.4 miles) in August. Then...whoa...my first <b>half marathon finish</b> on October 26th. <b>WOW</b>. Seriously? You\'re gonna tell me that Fat Darrell ran a half freaking marathon? Guess I\'m not Fat Darrell anymore.&nbsp;<b> And now I did it again - </b>I finished out 2013 strong by running 14.17 miles in one shot...a new distance record! <b>No medal for this one</b>, but that\'s ok...I have the satisfaction I need :)<br /><br />So...First run ever, first 5K, first 10K, first Falmouth Road Race, and first 13.1! Not bad.<br /><br /><br /><br /><b>So how about all this cross-training I\'ve been doing?</b><br /><br />I\'ve completed 6 BeachBody workout programs now, 5 of which were completed in 2013 - P90X (2012), INSANITY, INSANITY: The Asylum, Les Mills COMBAT, Body Beast, and Focus T25! These programs are the main reason I lost so much weight and got fit, and they\'re the reason I was able to start running! I\'m excited to add another one to the books soon :)<br /><br />What else? Well...for one thing...my little inspiration/motivation journey began. 2013 was when the biggest changes of <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">My Transformation </a>happened, and many of my friends and family told me how inspired they were by the change they saw - so inspired that they got up off the couch and started their own fitness journey! That made me think - I sure wish someone had told me all these things I had to figure out the hard way! And so, \"So THIS Is Fitness...\" was born. Now, as we\'re minutes away from 2014...it has grown from a little blog for sharing my thoughts to something way bigger than I could\'ve anticipated! I\'m so happy to be able to motivate, encourage, inspire and guide so many people to finding their fitness like I did! It\'s a great thing being able to spread the fitness bug :)<br /><br />I\'m so thankful for a great year, and there are some BIG things coming for 2014. 2013 was about making big change - 2014 is going to be about challenging myself, <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/12/lose-your-limits-challenge-2014.html\" target=\"_blank\">losing my limits,</a> and seeing what this new fit and in-shape body can do! Join me in the journey, and have an incredible year! I\'m sure I\'ll go a little more in-depth on the year within the next few days, just wanted to reflect before the ball dropped!<br /><br />Happy New Year!','2013...wow.','','publish','open','open','','2013-wow','','','2017-01-13 22:22:14','2017-01-14 03:22:14','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=84',0,'post','',0),(85,1,'2013-12-30 14:17:00','2013-12-30 19:17:00','I have a confession to make...<b>I\'ve been cheating. </b>Cheating is bad. Cheating is where we lie to ourselves, to our loved ones, and to those around us. It\'s where we pretend what we\'re doing is OK even though in our hearts we KNOW it\'s wrong. Cheating is where we slowly undermine all the hard work we\'ve been doing. And <b>DON\'T EVEN </b>try to tell me you don\'t feel bad about it when it happens...\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\" href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-871zZ3EszOg/UsF44O1PC4I/AAAAAAAAGIw/Plf6xOwg2D0/s1600/Cookie_Monster.jpg\"><img src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-871zZ3EszOg/UsF44O1PC4I/AAAAAAAAGIw/Plf6xOwg2D0/s320/Cookie_Monster.jpg\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\" border=\"0\" /></a></div>\r\nSo why do we cheat? <b>Because it\'s supposed to be OK here and there</b>. People tell us you just <b>have </b>to <b>allow</b> yourself a cheat day every once in a while to stay sane. <b>Why?</b> How is going against my nutrition plan going to help me? The short answer is...<b>it\'s not</b>. It\'s time to talk about the elephant in the room - and I\'d like to ask you to <b>RE-COMMIT TO YOURSELF </b>to be the best you can possibly be with your nutrition habits for 2014 and beyond!\r\n<b></b>\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>\r\n<b> Read on...and tell me if my story sounds familiar to you</b>.\r\n<a name=\"more\"></a>\r\nSo...Like I said...<b>I\'ve been cheating</b>. I really almost wrote \"nothing major\"...but that\'s just me lying to myself again. <b>Every cheat is major</b>. Every cheat is one more step down the rabbit hole. But I\'m getting ahead of myself.\r\n\r\nI\'ve been cheating. Little nibbles here and there, a few bites of this, not being strict about that, etc. I figure, I\'m doing great with my fitness and nutrition, I\'m down to 175...<b>THAT\'S AN EXCUSE! I had a ton of excuses!</b> \"It\'s ok, I\'m doing well, I can handle it.\", \"My metabolism is so fired up it\'ll just shred through this like nothing.\", \"<b>I\'ve earned it.</b>\", \"I just ran 10 miles, <b>shut up</b>.\"...\r\n<b>The list goes on</b>. Bottom line, I was justifying little violations of MY OWN RULES! Those rules, combined with hard work, are what got me these results...they\'re why I can actually SEE ABS NOW for the first time in my life...why would I go against that?\r\n\r\nReally...no good reason. It was there. I had waited too long to eat and was hungry. It looked good. None of those were on my list of good reasons to eat something.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Why is cheating bad? Why is this a big deal?</b></span>\r\n\r\n<b>I\'m so glad you asked. </b>It\'s really simple. A cheat meal, or worse, a cheat DAY, is extra calories, fat, sodium, oil, grease, etc that you wouldn\'t normally have in your day or week. A cheat is a direct violation of all the hard work you\'re doing - of your careful portioning and planning, of your low-fat cooking, your extra effort each day to avoid those sources of fat and \"badness\"...that time you said \"no, thank you\" to a chicken wing or a beer. Cheating basically <b>undoes that hard work.</b> It might seem obvious, but if you don\'t cheat and you stick to your plan, <b>you\'ll see better results faster.</b> Cheating is also bad for another reason.\r\n<b></b><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">\r\nCheating is a slippery slope</span></b>\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\" href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oh7trFoyLKY/UsF3FBxbrcI/AAAAAAAAGIg/rAZ9kqCnZfI/s1600/celebrity-pictures-cookie-monster-stop-anytime.jpg\"><img src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oh7trFoyLKY/UsF3FBxbrcI/AAAAAAAAGIg/rAZ9kqCnZfI/s1600/celebrity-pictures-cookie-monster-stop-anytime.jpg\" border=\"0\" /></a></div>\r\nOnce you start cheating, you\'re making it ok. After you allow yourself to cheat enough times, you may start cheating bigger. It might not be just a nibble anymore, it might be a half a bacon cheeseburger...or a whole one...or a whole <b>day...I know</b>, I sound ridiculous and as if this is the end of the world...but honestly, <b>I\'ve been there</b>. <b>I did it</b>. When I was on Weight Watchers with my mom, we\'d go weigh in on Saturday morning, and once we left the meeting it was cheat day! We\'d go get a fatty sloppy greasy breakfast at our favorite local place, then we\'d do whatever for the rest of the day - no weighing, no measuring...just enjoy the day! Why? <b>We had the whole week to make up for it. </b>\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>\r\n<b>With that mindset, you\'re starting behind the 8-ball instead of making forward progress all week!</b>\r\n\r\nSo, I had established my one cheat day a week - I was following all the bad habits I needed to get rid of! What happened when I went to UMass and lost my support system? <b>I hadn\'t learned anything</b> and I fell back on what I knew. 5 years later...well...you know how I blew up.\r\n\r\n<b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">I\'m asking you to re-commit to yourself for 2014</span></b>\r\n\r\n<b>Keep up your end of the bargain with yourself!</b> Stick with the program and get the results you\'re working so hard for. I know, I make it sound kind of DefCon 1, but it\'s better to head this kind of thing off at the pass than to get caught with your pants down later like I did. The whole point of starting this blog was <b>to help people learn from my mistakes</b>...well, here\'s a BIG one to learn from. I bet I could\'ve got better results from Focus T25 if I buckled down and stuck to my guns on nutrition. When I start P90X3 in January, I\'m going to revamp my nutrition, <b>really </b>pay attention to it, and get the best possible results out of it that I can!\r\n\r\n<b>Join me</b> in this! From this day forward (yeah, I\'m not waiting for the new year) every time I find myself looking at a cheat...every time I find myself bringing a cookie towards my mouth or some similar situation...the words of the video below are going to replay in my mind.\r\n<iframe src=\"www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMLaKR9eoRA\" width=\"420\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe><b></b>\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>I kid you not.</b></span>\r\n<b> </b>\r\n<b>A friend reminded me about that little gem</b>, and it is SERIOUSLY what I need to scream at myself in my head sometimes...<b>and it works</b>. Try it :) You\'ll be glad, down the road, that you said no to that ONE BITE of pie, or that ONE SLICE of pizza...or that ONE DAY to just go nuts. Stick to your guns!\r\n<b>\r\nHave faith - you can do this! 2014 is going to be a big year!</b>','Put That Cookie Down!','','publish','open','open','','put-that-cookie-down','','','2017-01-21 09:06:43','2017-01-21 14:06:43','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=85',0,'post','',2),(821,1,'2017-01-21 09:06:43','2017-01-21 14:06:43','I have a confession to make...<b>I\'ve been cheating. </b>Cheating is bad. Cheating is where we lie to ourselves, to our loved ones, and to those around us. It\'s where we pretend what we\'re doing is OK even though in our hearts we KNOW it\'s wrong. Cheating is where we slowly undermine all the hard work we\'ve been doing. And <b>DON\'T EVEN </b>try to tell me you don\'t feel bad about it when it happens...\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\" href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-871zZ3EszOg/UsF44O1PC4I/AAAAAAAAGIw/Plf6xOwg2D0/s1600/Cookie_Monster.jpg\"><img src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-871zZ3EszOg/UsF44O1PC4I/AAAAAAAAGIw/Plf6xOwg2D0/s320/Cookie_Monster.jpg\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\" border=\"0\" /></a></div>\r\nSo why do we cheat? <b>Because it\'s supposed to be OK here and there</b>. People tell us you just <b>have </b>to <b>allow</b> yourself a cheat day every once in a while to stay sane. <b>Why?</b> How is going against my nutrition plan going to help me? The short answer is...<b>it\'s not</b>. It\'s time to talk about the elephant in the room - and I\'d like to ask you to <b>RE-COMMIT TO YOURSELF </b>to be the best you can possibly be with your nutrition habits for 2014 and beyond!\r\n<b></b>\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>\r\n<b> Read on...and tell me if my story sounds familiar to you</b>.\r\n<a name=\"more\"></a>\r\nSo...Like I said...<b>I\'ve been cheating</b>. I really almost wrote \"nothing major\"...but that\'s just me lying to myself again. <b>Every cheat is major</b>. Every cheat is one more step down the rabbit hole. But I\'m getting ahead of myself.\r\n\r\nI\'ve been cheating. Little nibbles here and there, a few bites of this, not being strict about that, etc. I figure, I\'m doing great with my fitness and nutrition, I\'m down to 175...<b>THAT\'S AN EXCUSE! I had a ton of excuses!</b> \"It\'s ok, I\'m doing well, I can handle it.\", \"My metabolism is so fired up it\'ll just shred through this like nothing.\", \"<b>I\'ve earned it.</b>\", \"I just ran 10 miles, <b>shut up</b>.\"...\r\n<b>The list goes on</b>. Bottom line, I was justifying little violations of MY OWN RULES! Those rules, combined with hard work, are what got me these results...they\'re why I can actually SEE ABS NOW for the first time in my life...why would I go against that?\r\n\r\nReally...no good reason. It was there. I had waited too long to eat and was hungry. It looked good. None of those were on my list of good reasons to eat something.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Why is cheating bad? Why is this a big deal?</b></span>\r\n\r\n<b>I\'m so glad you asked. </b>It\'s really simple. A cheat meal, or worse, a cheat DAY, is extra calories, fat, sodium, oil, grease, etc that you wouldn\'t normally have in your day or week. A cheat is a direct violation of all the hard work you\'re doing - of your careful portioning and planning, of your low-fat cooking, your extra effort each day to avoid those sources of fat and \"badness\"...that time you said \"no, thank you\" to a chicken wing or a beer. Cheating basically <b>undoes that hard work.</b> It might seem obvious, but if you don\'t cheat and you stick to your plan, <b>you\'ll see better results faster.</b> Cheating is also bad for another reason.\r\n<b></b><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">\r\nCheating is a slippery slope</span></b>\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\" href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oh7trFoyLKY/UsF3FBxbrcI/AAAAAAAAGIg/rAZ9kqCnZfI/s1600/celebrity-pictures-cookie-monster-stop-anytime.jpg\"><img src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oh7trFoyLKY/UsF3FBxbrcI/AAAAAAAAGIg/rAZ9kqCnZfI/s1600/celebrity-pictures-cookie-monster-stop-anytime.jpg\" border=\"0\" /></a></div>\r\nOnce you start cheating, you\'re making it ok. After you allow yourself to cheat enough times, you may start cheating bigger. It might not be just a nibble anymore, it might be a half a bacon cheeseburger...or a whole one...or a whole <b>day...I know</b>, I sound ridiculous and as if this is the end of the world...but honestly, <b>I\'ve been there</b>. <b>I did it</b>. When I was on Weight Watchers with my mom, we\'d go weigh in on Saturday morning, and once we left the meeting it was cheat day! We\'d go get a fatty sloppy greasy breakfast at our favorite local place, then we\'d do whatever for the rest of the day - no weighing, no measuring...just enjoy the day! Why? <b>We had the whole week to make up for it. </b>\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>\r\n<b>With that mindset, you\'re starting behind the 8-ball instead of making forward progress all week!</b>\r\n\r\nSo, I had established my one cheat day a week - I was following all the bad habits I needed to get rid of! What happened when I went to UMass and lost my support system? <b>I hadn\'t learned anything</b> and I fell back on what I knew. 5 years later...well...you know how I blew up.\r\n\r\n<b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">I\'m asking you to re-commit to yourself for 2014</span></b>\r\n\r\n<b>Keep up your end of the bargain with yourself!</b> Stick with the program and get the results you\'re working so hard for. I know, I make it sound kind of DefCon 1, but it\'s better to head this kind of thing off at the pass than to get caught with your pants down later like I did. The whole point of starting this blog was <b>to help people learn from my mistakes</b>...well, here\'s a BIG one to learn from. I bet I could\'ve got better results from Focus T25 if I buckled down and stuck to my guns on nutrition. When I start P90X3 in January, I\'m going to revamp my nutrition, <b>really </b>pay attention to it, and get the best possible results out of it that I can!\r\n\r\n<b>Join me</b> in this! From this day forward (yeah, I\'m not waiting for the new year) every time I find myself looking at a cheat...every time I find myself bringing a cookie towards my mouth or some similar situation...the words of the video below are going to replay in my mind.\r\n<iframe src=\"www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMLaKR9eoRA\" width=\"420\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe><b></b>\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>I kid you not.</b></span>\r\n<b> </b>\r\n<b>A friend reminded me about that little gem</b>, and it is SERIOUSLY what I need to scream at myself in my head sometimes...<b>and it works</b>. Try it :) You\'ll be glad, down the road, that you said no to that ONE BITE of pie, or that ONE SLICE of pizza...or that ONE DAY to just go nuts. Stick to your guns!\r\n<b>\r\nHave faith - you can do this! 2014 is going to be a big year!</b>','Put That Cookie Down!','','inherit','closed','closed','','85-revision-v1','','','2017-01-21 09:06:43','2017-01-21 14:06:43','',85,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/01/85-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(86,1,'2013-12-23 14:16:00','2013-12-23 19:16:00','2013 was such a huge year for me - I learned a lot about myself, my body, and my abilities. I learned that the only limits we <b>truly</b> have are the ones we set for ourselves - that\'s why I threw the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/12/lose-your-limits-challenge-2014.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Lose Your Limits Challenge 2014</a>\" out there. At the time, I didn\'t realize <b>I had already taken on this challenge myself.</b> As my 2013 running season drew to a close, I began lining up my 2014 season - that is where MY challenge lies - this upcoming year of races is jam-packed. If things continue the way they are I\'ll be running a race nearly every weekend! Lots of races are close together or back to back, and there are going to be some BIG ones later in the year. My 2014 season starts in 13 days, and I\'d like to share the first installment of that season with you today.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><a name=\'more\'></a>I\'m so fortunate to have a number of sponsors backing me for my 2014 race season! Without them, I wouldn\'t be able to run <b>nearly </b>as many races as I am. These first three races I want to share with you are sponsored by my&nbsp; very first sponsor - the one that made it possible for me to <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/achievement-unlocked-13-1.html\" target=\"_blank\">run my first half-martahon</a> -<a href=\"http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;cad=rja&amp;ved=0CC8QFjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fhaircutmeneastfalmouthma.com%2F&amp;ei=NEO4UrCEGOjv2QWuiYDQDA&amp;usg=AFQjCNFtc1JAvTbUMLqdzkdh92bZgrH5CQ&amp;sig2=zN0loStr8ORivGZ3VaRvwA&amp;bvm=bv.58187178,d.b2I\" target=\"_blank\"> <b>SportClips in Falmouth</b>. </a><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1-2CYtLQjJA/UgobuUylIzI/AAAAAAAABO8/0n6Q7101Shg/s1600/sportclips.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"200\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1-2CYtLQjJA/UgobuUylIzI/AAAAAAAABO8/0n6Q7101Shg/s400/sportclips.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div>For those of you who haven\'t been there...as the logo implies, it\'s a sports-themed haircut place meant primarily for guys. There are tv\'s literally everywhere - including posted up between chairs for you to watch tv while you get a haircut. It\'s definitely an interesting concept, and I can dig it. They also do this thing called the \"MVP\" - it\'s like a little man-spa. You should check out their site and learn a little more - if you\'re anywhere near (or on) Cape Cod, the one in Falmouth <b>is</b><i> </i>the closest one to you - I\'m pretty sure it\'s the only one this side of Boston. <br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><b>The Races</b></span><br /><br />George (the owner over at SportClips) was kind enough to sponsor me for three local races. The first one is on January 5th! I bet that\'ll be a cold one (or not, if this weird New England weather keeps up!).<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-icCssMcGVs0/Urgx-WsctrI/AAAAAAAAGF4/TaOujXI2l04/s1600/IMG_8095.JPG\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"298\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-icCssMcGVs0/Urgx-WsctrI/AAAAAAAAGF4/TaOujXI2l04/s400/IMG_8095.JPG\" width=\"400\" />&nbsp;</a> </div><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Cape Cod Road Runner\'s 34th Annual Winter Fun Run</span></b><br /><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nvSQ-gFC2sY/Urg0dTJgcII/AAAAAAAAGGI/8kGzFoBQQ50/s1600/CCRRFunRunroute.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nvSQ-gFC2sY/Urg0dTJgcII/AAAAAAAAGGI/8kGzFoBQQ50/s320/CCRRFunRunroute.jpg\" width=\"272\" /></a>This one looks like a lot of fun! The course takes you through some back-road area in Bourne / Monument Beach (just past the Bourne Bridge), with about a half-mile stretch along the beach itself. I\'m REALLY hoping it\'s not windy - that half-mile could be pretty awful. It\'s a weird length for a <span></span><span></span>course - 4.87 miles. I\'ve found that most, if not all, non-standard distance courses tend to have a story behind their distance. The <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/and-then-i-ran-falmouth-road-race.html\" target=\"_blank\">Falmouth Road Race</a> began as a run from the Captain Kidd in Woods Hole to the BBC in Falmouth (hence 7.4 miles), and it looks like (in terms of having a story) this race is no different. It used to be a course along a dirt road, which began at The Weary Traveler Shrine Club (Shriners are a part of Freemasonry), but over time maintenance of the dirt road became an issue, so they chose a new course. The revised course fell just short of 5 miles, but they stuck with it. <br /><br />This is a \"fun run\". <b>What does that mean?</b> It means there is no chip timing, and those bibs you see in the picture are basic and, it would seem, to help them jot down some overall and age group award winners. This\'ll feel the same as any other race I\'ve run - not like I\'m the leader of the pack taking home the prize for running a 15 minute 5K yet! Hah. The entry fees from this go to support the <a href=\"http://www.bourneconservationtrust.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Bourne Conservation Trust</a> - a private non-profit that acquires land in order to leave it in its natural state. Sounds good to me :). <br /><br /><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Lovin\' L.I.F.E. 5K</span></b><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fzHSbPZwReY/Urg1dzW9s9I/AAAAAAAAGGU/DDJZ4ErfKKA/s1600/12400_605858926109550_962739796_n.png\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"313\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fzHSbPZwReY/Urg1dzW9s9I/AAAAAAAAGGU/DDJZ4ErfKKA/s320/12400_605858926109550_962739796_n.png\" width=\"320\" /></a><br /><b>This one has some special meaning for me</b>. This was not only my first 5K, but my first RACE ever! I\'m VERY excited to run it again and see how I stack up against myself from last year. Last time I ran this race it was just a month and a half after I started running in the first place. <span></span><span></span><br /><span></span><span></span><br />This race, if they keep the same course as last year, takes you through some back roads and neighborhoods in Mashpee, MA. The home stretch goes along Great Neck Road in Mashpee, and the finish line is right in the L.I.F.E. complex. <br /><a href=\"http://www.lifecapecod.org/\" target=\"_blank\">L.I.F.E. stands for Living Independently Forever.</a> It\'s a non-profit org that provides assisted living for adults with disabilities in its condominium complex. It\'s a great group doing some great work, and I\'m happy to support them! The race is on May 4th, 2014. Should be a nice spring day, just like last year!<br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Falmouth Flag Day 5K</b></span><br /><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LgkoCZp99DA/Urg-7E1gmrI/AAAAAAAAGGg/JiloqDnbVzc/s1600/598812_436432483056708_1291712048_n.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"262\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LgkoCZp99DA/Urg-7E1gmrI/AAAAAAAAGGg/JiloqDnbVzc/s400/598812_436432483056708_1291712048_n.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a><br />This race is still pending announcement, so it\'s tentative. I\'m PLANNING on running this one! This looks like a really fun race, and I ALMOST registered for it last year. I\'m not sure of the exact route of the course, but if photos are any indication it looks like the finish is right near the Falmouth Road Race finish - by the BBC in Falmouth Heights. If that\'s the case, I\'m sure this will be a very scenic race! This (hopefully) sunny June race will be a nice way to come down off of a half-marathon and an obstacle race...more on that soon ;)<br /><b></b><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>WHY Am I Doing This?</b></span><br /><br />These are just three of the 12 races I am (so far) registered for (through July), and there will be more coming. <b>Why </b>am I running so many races? And<b> why</b> would I register for races back to back? <b>I\'m doing it to show that you can</b>. If I can do it, anyone can. This time last year I was just beginning <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">my fitness journey</a> - I had just finished P90X, I was on the road to being healthy, but I never in a million years would\'ve thought I could go and <b>run</b>. A year and a half ago...I was still resigned to the \"fact\" <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">that I was, and would forever be, <b>big</b></a>. Clearly, that is not the case. <br /><b><br />Running is the most simple form of fitness. </b>Some more...<i>enthusiastic</i> runners...can make it very complicated...but in its simplest form, you strap on a pair of shoes and hit the road, trail, or treadmill. <b>That\'s it.</b> No complicated moves, no fancy agility training, no weights, no special gear, just you and the road. There is <b>no reason</b> why someone can\'t get out there and <b>be </b>a runner. This is how I\'m losing <b>my</b> limits - I\'m running. I\'m running <b>more</b>, I\'m running <b>faster</b>, I\'m running <b>farther</b>. By the end of 2014, I want to have completed my first marathon. <b>I want that 26.2. </b><u>And I\'ll get it. </u><br /><br />I didn\'t identify, personally, as a runner until I finished that half-marathon. I don\'t really know why...maybe I felt like I had something to prove to myself, or had to accomplish something big...who knows. I\'ve come to find, however, that it\'s very easy to figure out if you\'re a runner. <br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yXwiwZTzSfk/UrhBOaTYQ1I/AAAAAAAAGGs/EFNqOoJ6xEM/s1600/definerunner.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yXwiwZTzSfk/UrhBOaTYQ1I/AAAAAAAAGGs/EFNqOoJ6xEM/s1600/definerunner.jpg\" /></a></div><br />So <b>get out there</b>. Challenge yourself. Do something amazing. <b>Lose your limits.</b> I promise you, if you lose your perceptions of what you\'re capable of, if you <b>challenge yourself</b>, and <b>put the time in</b> to train...you can accomplish some <b>mind-blowing</b> feats. If someone had come up to me in August 2012 (when this all started) and told me that as I entered 2014 I would be training for my first marathon...I would\'ve told them to their face they were <b>high</b>. Now...Now I\'m hoping to be training for an Ultra-Marathon by 2015. <b>Funny how things change.</b><br /><b>&nbsp;</b><br /><b>What are YOU training for? </b>Have you taken on <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/12/lose-your-limits-challenge-2014.html\" target=\"_blank\">the challenge</a>?','I\'m Running. A Lot. This Is The Start.','','publish','open','open','','im-running-a-lot-this-is-the-start','','','2017-01-20 16:47:42','2017-01-20 21:47:42','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=86',0,'post','',0),(691,1,'2017-01-15 08:05:15','2017-01-15 13:05:15','2013 was such a huge year for me - I learned a lot about myself, my body, and my abilities. I learned that the only limits we <b>truly</b> have are the ones we set for ourselves - that\'s why I threw the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/12/lose-your-limits-challenge-2014.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Lose Your Limits Challenge 2014</a>\" out there. At the time, I didn\'t realize <b>I had already taken on this challenge myself.</b> As my 2013 running season drew to a close, I began lining up my 2014 season - that is where MY challenge lies - this upcoming year of races is jam-packed. If things continue the way they are I\'ll be running a race nearly every weekend! Lots of races are close together or back to back, and there are going to be some BIG ones later in the year. My 2014 season starts in 13 days, and I\'d like to share the first installment of that season with you today.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><a name=\'more\'></a>I\'m so fortunate to have a number of sponsors backing me for my 2014 race season! Without them, I wouldn\'t be able to run <b>nearly </b>as many races as I am. These first three races I want to share with you are sponsored by my&nbsp; very first sponsor - the one that made it possible for me to <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/achievement-unlocked-131.html\" target=\"_blank\">run my first half-martahon</a> -<a href=\"http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;cad=rja&amp;ved=0CC8QFjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fhaircutmeneastfalmouthma.com%2F&amp;ei=NEO4UrCEGOjv2QWuiYDQDA&amp;usg=AFQjCNFtc1JAvTbUMLqdzkdh92bZgrH5CQ&amp;sig2=zN0loStr8ORivGZ3VaRvwA&amp;bvm=bv.58187178,d.b2I\" target=\"_blank\"> <b>SportClips in Falmouth</b>. </a><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1-2CYtLQjJA/UgobuUylIzI/AAAAAAAABO8/0n6Q7101Shg/s1600/sportclips.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"200\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1-2CYtLQjJA/UgobuUylIzI/AAAAAAAABO8/0n6Q7101Shg/s400/sportclips.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div>For those of you who haven\'t been there...as the logo implies, it\'s a sports-themed haircut place meant primarily for guys. There are tv\'s literally everywhere - including posted up between chairs for you to watch tv while you get a haircut. It\'s definitely an interesting concept, and I can dig it. They also do this thing called the \"MVP\" - it\'s like a little man-spa. You should check out their site and learn a little more - if you\'re anywhere near (or on) Cape Cod, the one in Falmouth <b>is</b><i> </i>the closest one to you - I\'m pretty sure it\'s the only one this side of Boston. <br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><b>The Races</b></span><br /><br />George (the owner over at SportClips) was kind enough to sponsor me for three local races. The first one is on January 5th! I bet that\'ll be a cold one (or not, if this weird New England weather keeps up!).<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-icCssMcGVs0/Urgx-WsctrI/AAAAAAAAGF4/TaOujXI2l04/s1600/IMG_8095.JPG\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"298\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-icCssMcGVs0/Urgx-WsctrI/AAAAAAAAGF4/TaOujXI2l04/s400/IMG_8095.JPG\" width=\"400\" />&nbsp;</a> </div><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Cape Cod Road Runner\'s 34th Annual Winter Fun Run</span></b><br /><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nvSQ-gFC2sY/Urg0dTJgcII/AAAAAAAAGGI/8kGzFoBQQ50/s1600/CCRRFunRunroute.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nvSQ-gFC2sY/Urg0dTJgcII/AAAAAAAAGGI/8kGzFoBQQ50/s320/CCRRFunRunroute.jpg\" width=\"272\" /></a>This one looks like a lot of fun! The course takes you through some back-road area in Bourne / Monument Beach (just past the Bourne Bridge), with about a half-mile stretch along the beach itself. I\'m REALLY hoping it\'s not windy - that half-mile could be pretty awful. It\'s a weird length for a <span></span><span></span>course - 4.87 miles. I\'ve found that most, if not all, non-standard distance courses tend to have a story behind their distance. The <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/andtheniranfalmouthroadrace.html\" target=\"_blank\">Falmouth Road Race</a> began as a run from the Captain Kidd in Woods Hole to the BBC in Falmouth (hence 7.4 miles), and it looks like (in terms of having a story) this race is no different. It used to be a course along a dirt road, which began at The Weary Traveler Shrine Club (Shriners are a part of Freemasonry), but over time maintenance of the dirt road became an issue, so they chose a new course. The revised course fell just short of 5 miles, but they stuck with it. <br /><br />This is a \"fun run\". <b>What does that mean?</b> It means there is no chip timing, and those bibs you see in the picture are basic and, it would seem, to help them jot down some overall and age group award winners. This\'ll feel the same as any other race I\'ve run - not like I\'m the leader of the pack taking home the prize for running a 15 minute 5K yet! Hah. The entry fees from this go to support the <a href=\"http://www.bourneconservationtrust.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Bourne Conservation Trust</a> - a private non-profit that acquires land in order to leave it in its natural state. Sounds good to me :). <br /><br /><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Lovin\' L.I.F.E. 5K</span></b><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fzHSbPZwReY/Urg1dzW9s9I/AAAAAAAAGGU/DDJZ4ErfKKA/s1600/12400_605858926109550_962739796_n.png\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"313\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fzHSbPZwReY/Urg1dzW9s9I/AAAAAAAAGGU/DDJZ4ErfKKA/s320/12400_605858926109550_962739796_n.png\" width=\"320\" /></a><br /><b>This one has some special meaning for me</b>. This was not only my first 5K, but my first RACE ever! I\'m VERY excited to run it again and see how I stack up against myself from last year. Last time I ran this race it was just a month and a half after I started running in the first place. <span></span><span></span><br /><span></span><span></span><br />This race, if they keep the same course as last year, takes you through some back roads and neighborhoods in Mashpee, MA. The home stretch goes along Great Neck Road in Mashpee, and the finish line is right in the L.I.F.E. complex. <br /><a href=\"http://www.lifecapecod.org/\" target=\"_blank\">L.I.F.E. stands for Living Independently Forever.</a> It\'s a non-profit org that provides assisted living for adults with disabilities in its condominium complex. It\'s a great group doing some great work, and I\'m happy to support them! The race is on May 4th, 2014. Should be a nice spring day, just like last year!<br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Falmouth Flag Day 5K</b></span><br /><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LgkoCZp99DA/Urg-7E1gmrI/AAAAAAAAGGg/JiloqDnbVzc/s1600/598812_436432483056708_1291712048_n.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"262\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LgkoCZp99DA/Urg-7E1gmrI/AAAAAAAAGGg/JiloqDnbVzc/s400/598812_436432483056708_1291712048_n.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a><br />This race is still pending announcement, so it\'s tentative. I\'m PLANNING on running this one! This looks like a really fun race, and I ALMOST registered for it last year. I\'m not sure of the exact route of the course, but if photos are any indication it looks like the finish is right near the Falmouth Road Race finish - by the BBC in Falmouth Heights. If that\'s the case, I\'m sure this will be a very scenic race! This (hopefully) sunny June race will be a nice way to come down off of a half-marathon and an obstacle race...more on that soon ;)<br /><b></b><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>WHY Am I Doing This?</b></span><br /><br />These are just three of the 12 races I am (so far) registered for (through July), and there will be more coming. <b>Why </b>am I running so many races? And<b> why</b> would I register for races back to back? <b>I\'m doing it to show that you can</b>. If I can do it, anyone can. This time last year I was just beginning <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">my fitness journey</a> - I had just finished P90X, I was on the road to being healthy, but I never in a million years would\'ve thought I could go and <b>run</b>. A year and a half ago...I was still resigned to the \"fact\" <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">that I was, and would forever be, <b>big</b></a>. Clearly, that is not the case. <br /><b><br />Running is the most simple form of fitness. </b>Some more...<i>enthusiastic</i> runners...can make it very complicated...but in its simplest form, you strap on a pair of shoes and hit the road, trail, or treadmill. <b>That\'s it.</b> No complicated moves, no fancy agility training, no weights, no special gear, just you and the road. There is <b>no reason</b> why someone can\'t get out there and <b>be </b>a runner. This is how I\'m losing <b>my</b> limits - I\'m running. I\'m running <b>more</b>, I\'m running <b>faster</b>, I\'m running <b>farther</b>. By the end of 2014, I want to have completed my first marathon. <b>I want that 26.2. </b><u>And I\'ll get it. </u><br /><br />I didn\'t identify, personally, as a runner until I finished that half-marathon. I don\'t really know why...maybe I felt like I had something to prove to myself, or had to accomplish something big...who knows. I\'ve come to find, however, that it\'s very easy to figure out if you\'re a runner. <br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yXwiwZTzSfk/UrhBOaTYQ1I/AAAAAAAAGGs/EFNqOoJ6xEM/s1600/definerunner.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yXwiwZTzSfk/UrhBOaTYQ1I/AAAAAAAAGGs/EFNqOoJ6xEM/s1600/definerunner.jpg\" /></a></div><br />So <b>get out there</b>. Challenge yourself. Do something amazing. <b>Lose your limits.</b> I promise you, if you lose your perceptions of what you\'re capable of, if you <b>challenge yourself</b>, and <b>put the time in</b> to train...you can accomplish some <b>mind-blowing</b> feats. If someone had come up to me in August 2012 (when this all started) and told me that as I entered 2014 I would be training for my first marathon...I would\'ve told them to their face they were <b>high</b>. Now...Now I\'m hoping to be training for an Ultra-Marathon by 2015. <b>Funny how things change.</b><br /><b>&nbsp;</b><br /><b>What are YOU training for? </b>Have you taken on <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/12/lose-your-limits-challenge-2014.html\" target=\"_blank\">the challenge</a>?','I\'m Running. A Lot. This Is The Start.','','inherit','closed','closed','','86-revision-v1','','','2017-01-15 08:05:15','2017-01-15 13:05:15','',86,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/01/86-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(87,1,'2013-12-13 14:09:00','2013-12-13 19:09:00','2014 is going to be a huge year - If things go the way I\'m hoping for I\'ll not only be running a race almost every weekend...but I\'ll be <b>running a half-marathon a month</b> and my <b>first marathon</b> or <b>Spartan Beast</b> by the fall! Maybe <b>both</b>.<br />I\'m going to push myself, I\'m going to find the ceiling and <b>SMASH through it</b>...<br /><br /><b>and I want YOU to join me.</b><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iDkwFWSYoLQ/UqqofNnjVwI/AAAAAAAAGDg/kk-dcRJHahw/s1600/STIF-LYLCYL-Ch.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iDkwFWSYoLQ/UqqofNnjVwI/AAAAAAAAGDg/kk-dcRJHahw/s400/STIF-LYLCYL-Ch.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><b></b></div>I\'m calling it the \"Lose Your Limits\" Challenge 2014. The idea is simple, the challenge is not.&nbsp;<b> </b><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">\"Lose Your Limits\"?</span></b><br /><br />Like I said - The idea is simple: most of us think we have a pretty good idea of what our limits are. We know what we\'re capable of, and we know what probably isn\'t a good idea. We\'re also SURE of what we simply can\'t do. <b>Running?</b> No way. I\'m not a runner. I can\'t go out there and do that. <b>Obstacle race?</b> Are you <i>kidding me</i>? <b>Marathon?! </b>Are you <i>high?!</i> <br /><br /><b>I thought I knew what time it was</b>. I was a big guy. I was <b>always </b>gonna be a big guy. That\'s just how it was. I just needed to not be a <b>huge</b> guy. There was <b>no way</b> I would <b>ever</b> be under 200 lbs...I couldn\'t do that even at the PEAK of my physical fitness in high school. No way it was <b>ever</b> gonna change. <br /><br /><b>Then Megan and I did P90X. </b>That was August 2012. Mid-June 2013 I broke 200 lbs. <br /><br />I was <b>not </b>a runner. I was <b>not</b> an athlete. I was <b>not</b> gonna go out there and run. Just because I could do P90X and INSANITY didn\'t mean I could actually get out on pavement and <b>go</b>. That was a whole \'nother animal entirely. <br /><br /><b>But Megan and I went out for a run</b>. That was late-March 2013. May 2013 I finished my first 5K. Late-October 2013 I finished my first <b>half-marathon.</b> <br /><br /><b>Starting to catch on to the trend?</b> The first time I challenged myself was August 2012. <b>Nothing has been the same since then.&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><b>I got out of my bubble. </b>I left my comfort zone in the <b>dust</b>. I <b>made time </b>to <b>make it work.</b> I pledged to myself and to those I love that I would <b>make a change</b>. And I DID. I changed my <i>life<b>.</b></i><br /><br /><u><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>I want you to join me for the next step of the journey.</b></span><i><b> </b></i><b>&nbsp;</b> </u><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rvt3AOYj8pc/Uqqn__DYAWI/AAAAAAAAGDY/5Y17jR45pZo/s1600/STIF-LYLCYL-Chpledge.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rvt3AOYj8pc/Uqqn__DYAWI/AAAAAAAAGDY/5Y17jR45pZo/s400/STIF-LYLCYL-Chpledge.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><br />What do I want you to do, exactly? I want you to <b>take the pledge</b> to <b>lose your limits</b> by challenging yourself. If there\'s anything I\'ve learned in the last 16 months its this: the only limits we truly have are the ones we<b> set for ourselves</b>. I\'ve said it before and I\'ll say it until I\'m blue in the face - <b>Given time and training, anything is possible. </b>What do you think you can\'t do? What\'s outside your comfort zone? Do you think you can\'t contort yourself into some kind of human pretzel (which would mean yoga is out of the question)? Do you think there\'s no way you have the stamina, endurance, or just plain <i>ability </i>to go and run any kind of distance (however short)? Do you think you\'re the most wimpy weakling on the planet and the idea of lifting weights is laughable? Do you think there\'s just <b>no time</b> to get it done? Don\'t have anywhere you can work out?<br /><br /><b>See where I\'m going with this?</b><br /><br />If it\'s something you \"don\'t do\", \"won\'t do\" or \"can\'t do\"...guess what? <b>Go DO IT. It doesn\'t have to be a physical barrier - </b>notice how \"no time\" and \"don\'t have anywhere\" were in there? Lots of people have a barrier like that in their way - they think they don\'t have time or anywhere to do it. They\'re <b>just as wrong</b> as the guy or girl who thinks they can\'t run a mile.<br /><br />If I can do it, <b>anyone can do it</b>. Seriously - see this guy? These two are the same guy.<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sl7dTuG5CMY/Uqqtw49X8CI/AAAAAAAAGEE/mUjbADIjOK8/s1600/blob.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"186\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sl7dTuG5CMY/Uqqtw49X8CI/AAAAAAAAGEE/mUjbADIjOK8/s400/blob.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><b>Hard to believe, I know. </b>Amazing what happens when you get out of your own way, huh?<br /><br /><b>THIS ISN\'T JUST FOR NEWBIES! </b>Do you already work out? Already run races? Do Crossfit? What\'s the next big step that you haven\'t done yet? The next race you don\'t think you&nbsp; can handle? Do you lift/Crossfit and don\'t think you can run to save your life? <b>Bingo.&nbsp;</b> <br /><br /><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">What am<i> I </i>doing, you ask?</span></b><br /><br />So far I have 13 races lined up through July, including a few half-marathons and an obstacle race. <b>I am planning on adding many more</b>, and by fall my goal is to participate in <b>and finish</b> my first marathon or Spartan Beast / Tough Mudder. More on all those races coming VERY soon. First race is January 5th! BRRRR! Check out the race calendar tab to the right for all my races (click \"find more\" to see them all!) - maybe come run a race with me! (if you DO want to, reach out! Comment, shout out on Facebook, use the contact form below, or email me at Darrell@SoTHISIsFitness.com.<br /><br /><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">So How Do You Take The Pledge?</span></b><br /><br /><b>Simple: </b>Go to the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness/app_208195102528120\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook Page here. </a>\"Like\" the page, and follow the instructions. <b>Make the commitment.&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><b>Don\'t have Facebook? </b>\"Follow\" the blog (via email or RSS - instructions below) and comment below telling us all that you\'re gonna <b>do it</b>! You can even tell us what limit you\'re gonna lose!<br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>You Can Do This. </b></span><br /><br />If you <b>make the commitment</b>, <b>take the pledge</b>, and <b>set your mind to it</b> - you can absolutely <b>CRUSH</b> this challenge! There are lots of articles already on this blog to help you - check out the below articles for a good start in the right direction:<br /><br /><a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/so-this-is-nutrition-the-basics.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"So THIS Is Nutrition\"</a> - Nutrition Basics<br /><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/09/making-it-work.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Making It Work - Time Management\"</a> - Helps you figure out how to make it all work<br /><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/its-always-better-together.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"It\'s Always Better Together\"</a> - Thoughts on doing all this with a partner / buddy<br /><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/race-beginner-dos-donts.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Race Beginner Do\'s and Don\'ts\"</a> - Self-explanatory<br />The Original <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/09/lose-your-limits.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Lose Your Limits\"</a> Article that gave me the idea for this challenge<br />How to deal with <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/haters.html\" target=\"_blank\">Haters</a><br />Also, look at pretty much anything in the July 2013 part of the archive <br /><br /><b>There will be many more articles, product reviews, updates and (hopefully) giveaways / contests to help you along the way in your challenge. </b>I encourage you to follow this blog via e-mail (enter yours right above the run calendar box) or via RSS (click the orange RSS feed tab on the left of the page) to make sure you get all the updates!<br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>No excuses.</b></span> It\'s time to <b>get out</b> of your own way, <b>lose</b> your limits, and <b>change your life</b>.<br /><br /><i>Will you take the pledge and accept the challenge? Leave a comment and let us know!</i>','\"Lose Your Limits\" Challenge 2014','','publish','open','open','','lose-your-limits-challenge-2014','','','2017-01-21 09:20:35','2017-01-21 14:20:35','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=87',0,'post','',2),(823,1,'2017-01-21 09:20:35','2017-01-21 14:20:35','2014 is going to be a huge year - If things go the way I\'m hoping for I\'ll not only be running a race almost every weekend...but I\'ll be <b>running a half-marathon a month</b> and my <b>first marathon</b> or <b>Spartan Beast</b> by the fall! Maybe <b>both</b>.<br />I\'m going to push myself, I\'m going to find the ceiling and <b>SMASH through it</b>...<br /><br /><b>and I want YOU to join me.</b><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iDkwFWSYoLQ/UqqofNnjVwI/AAAAAAAAGDg/kk-dcRJHahw/s1600/STIF-LYLCYL-Ch.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iDkwFWSYoLQ/UqqofNnjVwI/AAAAAAAAGDg/kk-dcRJHahw/s400/STIF-LYLCYL-Ch.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><b></b></div>I\'m calling it the \"Lose Your Limits\" Challenge 2014. The idea is simple, the challenge is not.&nbsp;<b> </b><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">\"Lose Your Limits\"?</span></b><br /><br />Like I said - The idea is simple: most of us think we have a pretty good idea of what our limits are. We know what we\'re capable of, and we know what probably isn\'t a good idea. We\'re also SURE of what we simply can\'t do. <b>Running?</b> No way. I\'m not a runner. I can\'t go out there and do that. <b>Obstacle race?</b> Are you <i>kidding me</i>? <b>Marathon?! </b>Are you <i>high?!</i> <br /><br /><b>I thought I knew what time it was</b>. I was a big guy. I was <b>always </b>gonna be a big guy. That\'s just how it was. I just needed to not be a <b>huge</b> guy. There was <b>no way</b> I would <b>ever</b> be under 200 lbs...I couldn\'t do that even at the PEAK of my physical fitness in high school. No way it was <b>ever</b> gonna change. <br /><br /><b>Then Megan and I did P90X. </b>That was August 2012. Mid-June 2013 I broke 200 lbs. <br /><br />I was <b>not </b>a runner. I was <b>not</b> an athlete. I was <b>not</b> gonna go out there and run. Just because I could do P90X and INSANITY didn\'t mean I could actually get out on pavement and <b>go</b>. That was a whole \'nother animal entirely. <br /><br /><b>But Megan and I went out for a run</b>. That was late-March 2013. May 2013 I finished my first 5K. Late-October 2013 I finished my first <b>half-marathon.</b> <br /><br /><b>Starting to catch on to the trend?</b> The first time I challenged myself was August 2012. <b>Nothing has been the same since then.&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><b>I got out of my bubble. </b>I left my comfort zone in the <b>dust</b>. I <b>made time </b>to <b>make it work.</b> I pledged to myself and to those I love that I would <b>make a change</b>. And I DID. I changed my <i>life<b>.</b></i><br /><br /><u><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>I want you to join me for the next step of the journey.</b></span><i><b> </b></i><b>&nbsp;</b> </u><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rvt3AOYj8pc/Uqqn__DYAWI/AAAAAAAAGDY/5Y17jR45pZo/s1600/STIF-LYLCYL-Chpledge.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rvt3AOYj8pc/Uqqn__DYAWI/AAAAAAAAGDY/5Y17jR45pZo/s400/STIF-LYLCYL-Chpledge.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><br />What do I want you to do, exactly? I want you to <b>take the pledge</b> to <b>lose your limits</b> by challenging yourself. If there\'s anything I\'ve learned in the last 16 months its this: the only limits we truly have are the ones we<b> set for ourselves</b>. I\'ve said it before and I\'ll say it until I\'m blue in the face - <b>Given time and training, anything is possible. </b>What do you think you can\'t do? What\'s outside your comfort zone? Do you think you can\'t contort yourself into some kind of human pretzel (which would mean yoga is out of the question)? Do you think there\'s no way you have the stamina, endurance, or just plain <i>ability </i>to go and run any kind of distance (however short)? Do you think you\'re the most wimpy weakling on the planet and the idea of lifting weights is laughable? Do you think there\'s just <b>no time</b> to get it done? Don\'t have anywhere you can work out?<br /><br /><b>See where I\'m going with this?</b><br /><br />If it\'s something you \"don\'t do\", \"won\'t do\" or \"can\'t do\"...guess what? <b>Go DO IT. It doesn\'t have to be a physical barrier - </b>notice how \"no time\" and \"don\'t have anywhere\" were in there? Lots of people have a barrier like that in their way - they think they don\'t have time or anywhere to do it. They\'re <b>just as wrong</b> as the guy or girl who thinks they can\'t run a mile.<br /><br />If I can do it, <b>anyone can do it</b>. Seriously - see this guy? These two are the same guy.<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sl7dTuG5CMY/Uqqtw49X8CI/AAAAAAAAGEE/mUjbADIjOK8/s1600/blob.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"186\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sl7dTuG5CMY/Uqqtw49X8CI/AAAAAAAAGEE/mUjbADIjOK8/s400/blob.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><b>Hard to believe, I know. </b>Amazing what happens when you get out of your own way, huh?<br /><br /><b>THIS ISN\'T JUST FOR NEWBIES! </b>Do you already work out? Already run races? Do Crossfit? What\'s the next big step that you haven\'t done yet? The next race you don\'t think you&nbsp; can handle? Do you lift/Crossfit and don\'t think you can run to save your life? <b>Bingo.&nbsp;</b> <br /><br /><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">What am<i> I </i>doing, you ask?</span></b><br /><br />So far I have 13 races lined up through July, including a few half-marathons and an obstacle race. <b>I am planning on adding many more</b>, and by fall my goal is to participate in <b>and finish</b> my first marathon or Spartan Beast / Tough Mudder. More on all those races coming VERY soon. First race is January 5th! BRRRR! Check out the race calendar tab to the right for all my races (click \"find more\" to see them all!) - maybe come run a race with me! (if you DO want to, reach out! Comment, shout out on Facebook, use the contact form below, or email me at Darrell@SoTHISIsFitness.com.<br /><br /><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">So How Do You Take The Pledge?</span></b><br /><br /><b>Simple: </b>Go to the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness/app_208195102528120\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook Page here. </a>\"Like\" the page, and follow the instructions. <b>Make the commitment.&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><b>Don\'t have Facebook? </b>\"Follow\" the blog (via email or RSS - instructions below) and comment below telling us all that you\'re gonna <b>do it</b>! You can even tell us what limit you\'re gonna lose!<br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>You Can Do This. </b></span><br /><br />If you <b>make the commitment</b>, <b>take the pledge</b>, and <b>set your mind to it</b> - you can absolutely <b>CRUSH</b> this challenge! There are lots of articles already on this blog to help you - check out the below articles for a good start in the right direction:<br /><br /><a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/so-this-is-nutrition-the-basics.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"So THIS Is Nutrition\"</a> - Nutrition Basics<br /><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/09/making-it-work.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Making It Work - Time Management\"</a> - Helps you figure out how to make it all work<br /><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/its-always-better-together.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"It\'s Always Better Together\"</a> - Thoughts on doing all this with a partner / buddy<br /><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/race-beginner-dos-donts.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Race Beginner Do\'s and Don\'ts\"</a> - Self-explanatory<br />The Original <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/09/lose-your-limits.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Lose Your Limits\"</a> Article that gave me the idea for this challenge<br />How to deal with <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/haters.html\" target=\"_blank\">Haters</a><br />Also, look at pretty much anything in the July 2013 part of the archive <br /><br /><b>There will be many more articles, product reviews, updates and (hopefully) giveaways / contests to help you along the way in your challenge. </b>I encourage you to follow this blog via e-mail (enter yours right above the run calendar box) or via RSS (click the orange RSS feed tab on the left of the page) to make sure you get all the updates!<br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>No excuses.</b></span> It\'s time to <b>get out</b> of your own way, <b>lose</b> your limits, and <b>change your life</b>.<br /><br /><i>Will you take the pledge and accept the challenge? Leave a comment and let us know!</i>','\"Lose Your Limits\" Challenge 2014','','inherit','closed','closed','','87-revision-v1','','','2017-01-21 09:20:35','2017-01-21 14:20:35','',87,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/01/87-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(88,1,'2013-12-04 15:59:00','2013-12-04 20:59:00','<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>I\'m getting really excited about the 2014 racing season - so far I\'ve got sponsors signed on for 11 races, and I anticipate more to come soon. You\'ll be hearing about those races and the sponsors soon...but before I get into that, I think it\'s important to talk about one of the things that helped me get through 2013 and will most certainly help me keep on chugging through 2014. I have it with me every single time I run (unless it\'s an obstacle race / mud run), and I\'m fairly certain I couldn\'t run without it. What am I talking about?<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PN6M5qEH60w/Up6O302lRnI/AAAAAAAAFgU/o9ijXOUIAi4/s1600/tubebeltlogo.gif\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"228\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PN6M5qEH60w/Up6O302lRnI/AAAAAAAAFgU/o9ijXOUIAi4/s400/tubebeltlogo.gif\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><b>Tune Belt! </b>Tune Belt was one of my sponsors this past year, and they make a sport armband. Yes, I understand there are about 45,000 different sport armbands out there, but they are not the Tune Belt. This thing is great, and is going to help me get through (hopefully) 5+ half marathons this coming year (not to mention a ton of 5K\'s, 10K\'s, and non-standard distances)! <br /><br />SO...<b>why is Tune Belt so special?</b><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><b>As I said, there is an obscene variety </b>of sport armbands out there. I can walk into a Wal-Mart, Marshall\'s, or virtually any mall BLINDFOLDED and leave with one. They\'re everywhere. You would think that with such an immense variety it would be easy to find one that\'s <b>just right</b> for you. Yeah, that\'s what I thought too. After lots of trial and error, I came across the Tune Belt at the Falmouth Road Race 2013 Expo at the high school. There were several vendors at the expo that had Tune Belt, and I thought it might just be worth a shot. I had been doing my best to spend $10 on one, but after all the trials and tribulations, if I had to spend $20 or $25 to FINALLY have one that actually gets the job done...<b>so be it. </b>And here I am. So let\'s talk about what makes Tune Belt special and why my long, exhaustive search is over.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SXVHgt4A56w/Up8z_ZFR6pI/AAAAAAAAFgk/DVezC7qtgT4/s1600/tune_belt.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"213\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SXVHgt4A56w/Up8z_ZFR6pI/AAAAAAAAFgk/DVezC7qtgT4/s400/tune_belt.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>One Size Does NOT Fit All</b></span><br /><br />It\'s no secret - I\'m an Android fan. I love my Droid - I had the Droid Razr Maxx for the last two years (didn\'t break it!) and I just upgraded to the Droid Maxx. For those who don\'t know, the Droid Razr Maxx is a pretty big smartphone. The Droid Maxx is even <i>bigger</i>. I didn\'t realize just how much bigger a Droid could be than an iPhone...until I started trying to find a sport armband. There are LOTS of really cool ideas for sport armbands out there...<b>if you have an iPhone</b>. I, just like all other non-iPhone owners, was neglected. There were virtually NO good options out there for a sport armband! It\'s like the companies only care about iPhone owners...though I guess it makes sense - it\'s such a popular device, and there\'s only one kind, more or less. There\'s a million varieties of Android device, and it\'s tough to cater to all of them. I searched TJ Maxx and Marshall\'s, I searched Wal-Mart, I searched sporting good stores...nearly ALL to no avail. I felt like a moron standing in the store trying to shove my phone into the two armbands that looked like they MIGHT fit my phone. <br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-srDb8VtGouA/Up9Ee_KHZRI/AAAAAAAAFjA/B8SFXoCr2dA/s1600/IMG_20131204_095455872.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-srDb8VtGouA/Up9Ee_KHZRI/AAAAAAAAFjA/B8SFXoCr2dA/s320/IMG_20131204_095455872.jpg\" width=\"304\" /></a></div>At the Falmouth Road Race Expo...I thought I\'d give it one more shot. I picked a vendor, picked up the \"Generic Large Smartphone\" version off the rack (Model AB85) and asked the guy if I could open it up and try my phone in it. Can I tell you the sheer <b>joy</b> when it fit! And it fit pretty well too! For a \"generic\"...it was pretty damn good! The only thing was, as you can see to the right, the headphone hole was a little off. THAT\'S FINE. I just had to shimmy my headphone plug in there and I was good to go. <b>Not a big deal for me</b> - I knew what I was getting into getting a \"generic\" one. <br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Fits Like A Glove</b></span><br /><br /><b>This thing fits great!</b> I had no problems with it sliding around on my arm, like I had with other armbands. I slide it on,<b> </b>tighten the strap, and off I go. The strap is a \"hook and loop\" enclosure...it\'s not Velcro, but its similar and it gets the job done. No tugging, no adjusting, no nothing. <b>It stays put</b>. I like that. It\'s comfortable too - there\'s something to be said for Neoprene...it doesn\'t stick to you and feel gross like some other materials out there. More on Neoprene later though...<br /><br /><b>Also, I\'ll throw this out there - </b>They sell an \"extender\" in case the strap built into it isn\'t long enough for your arm...I wear mine around my forearm for ease of use and so I can constantly look at my stats. Even around my bicep, it fits comfortably with room to spare. I think you\'d have to have an exceptionally beefy bicep for this to not fit...but then again...I don\'t often run into runners with arms that big.<br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>A Well-Built Tool!</b></span><br /><br /><b>This thing is solidly built - </b>they really thought out the design well. What you see below is what sits on your arm:<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><br /><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yORapRq-udo/Up9JWYsMgcI/AAAAAAAAFpI/Lu9ciK2c93w/s1600/IMG_20131204_100756772.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yORapRq-udo/Up9JWYsMgcI/AAAAAAAAFpI/Lu9ciK2c93w/s320/IMG_20131204_100756772.jpg\" width=\"260\" /></a>See that rectangular stitch in the middle? That\'s where your phone goes...<b>on the other side. </b>No part of your phone touches your arm! Instead, the compartment for your phone sits more or less on top of a little neoprene pad. <b>Neoprene, for those who don\'t know,</b> is what they make wetsuits out of. Nothing like having a waterproof barrier between your arm and the thing holding your phone! What\'s more, even the compartment that holds your phone is made of Neoprene!&nbsp; <br /><br /><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AnxkYgOt5gg/Up9IS_KSXmI/AAAAAAAAFo0/Jnuhk58Z8tw/s1600/IMG_20131204_101728137.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"260\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AnxkYgOt5gg/Up9IS_KSXmI/AAAAAAAAFo0/Jnuhk58Z8tw/s320/IMG_20131204_101728137.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a>I was DESPERATE for something that would keep my phone dry! When I was Fat Darrell, I would sweat like I\'d just jumped in a pool. Surprise...<b>I still do</b>. I can\'t afford for my expensive smartphone to get wet. The sport armband I had prior to my Tune Belt had a slit along the top backside of the thing where you were supposed to shimmy your phone into (see where the green arrow points? That\'s about where the slit was on the old armband). <b>Explain to me how having the slit against my arm will keep my phone dry?! Tune Belt got this part right, too!</b> See where all those red arrows are pointing? That\'s where you slide your phone into the Tune Belt. The opening sits on top of that neoprene base - sweat doesn\'t get up in there. What\'s more, when its secured to your arm, it\'s tough to get much of ANYTHING in that slit (you have to put your phone in before you strap it to your arm). I am perfectly happy with that. As far as I\'m concerned as a runner, it\'s basically waterproof (don\'t go diving in a pool or anything). I\'d feel ok taking this out for a run in the rain. Maybe not a downpour, but I wouldn\'t want to run in a downpour anyway.<br /><br /><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Cool Feature!</span></b><br /><br />One of the unique things about the Tune Belt is the little flap on the armband where you can secure your extra headphone cord. There\'s few things worse on a run than trying to figure out what to do with the extra headphone cord flopping around everywhere! Tune Belt figured that one out and filed it away in a nice neat little place. <br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSJYCMi-cus/Up9MOT9eA4I/AAAAAAAAFpo/7D6SDw2nqOc/s1600/IMG_20131204_103453886.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"280\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSJYCMi-cus/Up9MOT9eA4I/AAAAAAAAFpo/7D6SDw2nqOc/s400/IMG_20131204_103453886.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><br /><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">There\'s a Tune Belt That\'s Just Right For You</span></b><br /><br /><b>Remember how I complained earlier</b> that there was a complete and total neglect towards people who don\'t have an iPhone? <b>Not with Tune Belt</b>. I swear, they have a Tune Belt that\'s designed to be perfect for almost every phone out there! Go on their site (www.tunebelt.com) and see for yourself! You pick your brand, model, and off you go! Not only that...but there are models designed for your phone <b>while it\'s in an Otterbox!</b> Yes...they not only make a Tune Belt that fits your phone \"naked\", but also that fits your specific model with its Otterbox Defender / Commuter on it! I can literally order a case designed to fit my Droid Maxx with an Otterbox Commuter on it. I don\'t have to take my phone out of the case? Seriously? <b>Shut up and take my money.</b> <br /><br />I\'m sold. Seriously. They\'re getting it right where everyone else is failing. They\'re taking care of not only those who have iPhones, but those who have an Android phone! There\'s even a Tune Belt for your iPod Shuffle, Nano, your Nike+ square device thingy, your <b>walkman cd player or cassette tape player</b>, and more. I swear...I have yet to find a device that they <b>don\'t </b>make a Tune Belt for. They\'re even starting to make them in reflective pink and yellow colors! Those are currently only available in iPhone size or generic large smartphone size, but there\'s a relatively smaller market for those so I suppose that makes sense. Kudos to them for offering it in the generic large smartphone size! <br /><br /><b>Tune Belt is getting it right!</b> If you\'re in the market for a sport armband to carry your precious smartphone and equally precious tunes, go find a Tune Belt now! Check out their site www.TuneBelt.com , find your smartphone, and find what model number you need. You can get it all over the internet or in many running / sporting good stores! The one I have (Model AB89) actually does juuuust fit my new Droid Maxx without a case, but I\'m strongly considering getting the one designed for my phone with its case on (Model AB88)...if I do get that, you can expect a review - not many armbands out there that allow you to keep your phone in the case - that\'s certainly worth its own review!<br /><br /><b>Go get one. </b>I got one for myself and for Megan. <b>I\'m glad I did</b>.','Keeps You Moving | Review - Tune Belt','','publish','open','open','','keeps-you-moving-review-tune-belt','','','2017-01-08 23:32:57','2017-01-09 04:32:57','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=88',0,'post','',0),(89,1,'2013-11-20 14:32:00','2013-11-20 19:32:00','WOW, that was fun. The Spartan Sprint at Fenway Park was my first  Obstacle Course Race (OCR) and wow was it different from just running a  regular road race! I\'m glad I \"ran\" it - it gave me a new perspective on  both those kinds of events and my own abilities. I learned a lot about  myself, my skills, and what my new, significantly lighter and much  stronger body can do.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SwMzyxtkMTU/Uooa02ehJ5I/AAAAAAAAFTo/6lZyMpJjlKs/s1600/IMG_20131117_131023641.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SwMzyxtkMTU/Uooa02ehJ5I/AAAAAAAAFTo/6lZyMpJjlKs/s400/IMG_20131117_131023641.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"376\" /></a></div>So what exactly was I dealing with that day? How\'d it go? Why did I do well over 100 burpees?<br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><b>First off</b>,  let me just say...the sheer number of people at this thing was  absolutely stunning. I knew Spartan Races, Tough Mudders, etc were a big  deal...but holy crap there were a ton of people! Thousands upon  thousands of runners, spectators, vendors, volunteers...<b>whoa</b>. As  soon as I got off the T at Kenmore Square I started seeing people in the  tell-tale neons of running gear, and even a few finisher\'s medals. Once  Fenway was in view it was all I could see...including some great  shirts...like this one:<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d4TgEXJovVA/Uoofg4uZ1ZI/AAAAAAAAFUA/kYTjnB5BLB4/s1600/burpee0people.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d4TgEXJovVA/Uoofg4uZ1ZI/AAAAAAAAFUA/kYTjnB5BLB4/s400/burpee0people.jpg\" height=\"156\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><b>I don\'t think I fully understood </b>that  shirt until after the Spartan. Now...I get it. If you think you don\'t  like burpees...just run a Spartan...you\'ll learn a whole new level of  disdain for the exercise. <br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Team Up!</b></span><br /><br />I  ran this race as a part of a team - the MMRL Ruffians. We ran to raise  money and awareness for the <a href=\"http://www.mmrl.edu/\" target=\"_blank\">Masonic Medical Research Laboratory (MMRL)</a>, as well as to raise  awareness of and promote Freemasonry in general. There were 5 of us  running -<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EoxIVRXnZPw/UoorzDahI1I/AAAAAAAAFUY/Xr5MHUU224U/s1600/MMRL+Ruffians+2013+003.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EoxIVRXnZPw/UoorzDahI1I/AAAAAAAAFUY/Xr5MHUU224U/s400/MMRL+Ruffians+2013+003.jpg\" height=\"353\" width=\"400\" /></a></div>It  felt a little disorganized when we were inside Fenway itself getting  ready to start...we kind of lost track of each other. The four of us on  the right found each other and got in the starting corral together...but  we couldn\'t find the guy in the orange shirt. It came to a point where  we either started or missed our wave...so we kind of had to just go. <b>Sooooo</b>...four  of us ran together. It was good! Running with a team was a good  experience, and you can help each other. More on that later.<br /><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--oKSlcUug-k/UooswHe9oLI/AAAAAAAAFUk/aMCUwWpHgNE/s1600/MMRL.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--oKSlcUug-k/UooswHe9oLI/AAAAAAAAFUk/aMCUwWpHgNE/s200/MMRL.jpg\" height=\"200\" width=\"198\" /></a><br /><b>As far as MMRL - </b>The MMRL is the signature charity of the <a href=\"http://www.massfreemasonry.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts</a>. The MMRL does a lot of its work under the more specific  banner of the Cardiac Research Institute (at MMRL). One of the  groundbreaking things they\'re researching is how to grow organs for  transplant - imagine...someone needs a heart transplant...and they could  have a heart grown from <b>their own cells</b>...it would eliminate (or  at least immensely reduce) the risk of rejection! It\'d be a huge leap  forward - that\'s just one of the things the MMRL is working towards, and  it\'s why I thought this would be a GREAT cause to support!<br /><br /><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">So...remind me what a Spartan is?</span></b><br /><br /><b>As I said in the pre-race article - </b>a Spartan race is one of many \"Obstacle Course Races\". There\'s Spartan Race, Tough Mudder, Warrior Dash, Hero Rush, etc etc. Most of them are just one kind of race - 5K distance, 13ish miles, etc. Spartan comes in several varieties - the Sprint, Super, Beast, Ultra Beast, and Death Race. The race I ran, the Spartan Sprint at Fenway Park, was...as the name would imply...a Sprint. It was about 3 miles and had 22 obstacles. Unlike a typical Spartan, which would occur in a field or on a mountain somewhere, this was in a ballpark - so no mud, no water, and no fire. There were plenty of creative obstacles to take the place of those though (that used the venue well!).<br /><br />Let me just say...<b>Spartan Race is no joke. </b>Below is the envelope I got with my number, timing chip, etc inside:<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7X6938UclHQ/UowrPiiNiFI/AAAAAAAAFW4/dx7rW9BnKPc/s1600/spartan+envelope.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7X6938UclHQ/UowrPiiNiFI/AAAAAAAAFW4/dx7rW9BnKPc/s400/spartan+envelope.jpg\" height=\"255\" width=\"400\" /></a></div>In case you can\'t read it...it says: <b>&nbsp;</b><br /><blockquote><span style=\"color: red;\"><b>Warning!!!!! </b>The Spartan Race is a dangerous and demanding extreme sporting/racing event. <b>THERE IS A REAL POSSIBILITY THAT <span style=\"font-size: large;\"><u>YOU MAY DIE</u></span> OR BE CATASTROPHICALLY INJURED. </b>Each participant voluntarily and knowingly accepts and assumes all risk of participating in the event.</span></blockquote><b>No. Joke.</b> Probably not quite so much risk of THAT bad of an injury in the stadium...but I can just bet on a longer Spartan (like a Super, and <b>especially </b>a Beast) there\'d be a real risk of real injury. Yeah...about that...<br /><br />Anyway...<br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>The Fenway Sprint</b></span><br /><br />The race itself was a load of fun. Like I said, it ended up being about 3 miles and 22 obstacles. <b>There must have been hardly any running with all those obstacles</b>, you say? <b>NEGATIVE</b>.  There was plenty of running involved. More like jogging from obstacle  to obstacle, though, as we were making sure to stick together as a team.  If I were on my own I probably would\'ve been doing a lot more running,  but that\'s A-OK...it was good I took my time and paced myself as I  learned how to navigate this kind of a race.<br /><br /><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-69HHzXmvVb0/Uoou5fRqDrI/AAAAAAAAFU4/Fi5ze33Nj0Q/s1600/IMG_20131116_135929132.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-69HHzXmvVb0/Uoou5fRqDrI/AAAAAAAAFU4/Fi5ze33Nj0Q/s400/IMG_20131116_135929132.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"305\" /></a><br /><b>There was work to do before we even started the damn race!</b> See that look on my face? That\'s a look of awe at the fact that I just  hurled myself over that 6 ft. wall behind me. That, I can safely say,  was the first time I ever hurled myself over a wall! <b>It would not be the last time that day</b>. Not by a long-shot.<br /><br />So you waited in line, climbed a 6 ft wall, then waited in line more. Once we got up to the starting area, the emcee had us step up to do 5 burpees before he \"fired the gun\" and let us start.<br /><iframe allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" src=\"//www.youtube.com/embed/90mykixs6Pc?rel=0\" width=\"560\"></iframe> <b>OK...so I climbed a 6 ft wall and did some burpees...CAN I START NOW?!</b><br />Yes. <br /><br /><b>And off we went.&nbsp;</b><br /><br />I\'m  not gonna sit here and talk about ALL 22 obstacles...that\'s a little  excessive. I WILL talk about the ones that stuck out (they may not be in  order). First - the \"jerry carry\" or \"jerry can\" or whatever it  was...(the water jug carry) was not as bad as I was expecting. When I watched a video of last year\'s race...that flight of  stairs you had to go down and up seemed a hell of a lot longer. Going up  still sucked, but it was early enough in the race that it was  manageable.<br /><br />Another obstacle that occured RELATIVELY early on (I think) was the 500 meter row. Megan actually got a video of it:<br /><br /><iframe align=\"middle\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"500\" src=\"//www.youtube.com/embed/6w1HVDf_X00?rel=0\" width=\"420\"></iframe><br /><br />Had a little trouble getting my feet out of the stirrups at the end. whoops!<br /><br /><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-539nBBa5wt8/Uoox6Kvm5PI/AAAAAAAAFVE/h8XtVKgwOxo/s1600/IMG_20131116_132711823.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-539nBBa5wt8/Uoox6Kvm5PI/AAAAAAAAFVE/h8XtVKgwOxo/s400/IMG_20131116_132711823.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"225\" /></a><b> </b>There was a point where we ran into a locker room to do pushups...that was <b>pretty cool</b>. I would imagine it was a visitor\'s locker room and not the actual Red Sox one...but <b>still</b>...come  on - that\'s awesome! I heard 20 pushups...so I did awesome  pushups with good form, straight as a board, no dipping in my middle...and when I hit 15 I heard the volunteer in the room telling  someone they were \"hand-release pushups\"...i.e. when your chest touches  the ground, your hands leave the floor for a second. <b>Guess who did 35 pushups instead of 20</b>. Yeah...good thing that was followed by a jog along the bleachers... <br /><br />Before I realized it, I was <b>running along the Green Monster</b>! Again...<b>cool</b>. There were lots of obstacles along the upper decks that didn\'t give me much trouble - Medicine Ball Drop, Hobble Hop, Stone Carry, Rope Jump...  The obstacles that <b>did</b> give me trouble were the Monkey Bars (got  halfway through, had to stop), the Hercules Hoist (got the weight almost  to the top of the pulley, had to stop), the rope climb and the spear  throw.<br /><br /><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e9juMK-78h0/UotvNyOmXPI/AAAAAAAAFV0/kV8UCu96mjg/s1600/1384562319674.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e9juMK-78h0/UotvNyOmXPI/AAAAAAAAFV0/kV8UCu96mjg/s320/1384562319674.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"239\" /></a>The monkey bars and the hercules hoist were both, I think, failed  due largely to my gloves. I researched online to find as good a pair of gloves as I could, and my search led me to the Madgrip Pro Palm glove. Picked them up cheap (about $10). They were <b>not</b> as secure and tight to  my hand as I was expecting, and they slid around to the point where I  was grasping a handful of plastic/rubber, and not a rope or monkey bar. I have a feeling this was because the back was stretchy, meshy fabric and the palm was rubber - the palm stayed practically glued to the rope/bar/whatever...but my hand moved around inside. <b>Guess I need different gloves next time</b>. I think a pair of gloves that secures at the wrist and isn\'t made of meshy fabric would be good...maybe the Mechanix M-Pact. More research will follow.<br /><br /><b>Anyway...</b><br /><b>&nbsp;</b> <br />The spear throw sucked because the obstacle right before it was a  wall-walk....big long wall with blocks of 2x4 screwed in at  angles...kind of like a climbing wall. You couldn\'t touch the ground or  the top of the wall, just the blocks...<b>talk about hand strength!</b> There was a chick crowding me once I got halfway down, and 2/3 through I  almost fell off! I made it though... I was pretty happy about that!  Once I finished though, I had no hand strength left! <b>Good luck with that spear throw!</b><br /><br /><b>With all those failed obstacles, </b>there were lots of 30 burpee penalties to deal with! Remember how I said running with a team was great? If you\'re with a team...your teammates can eat penalty burpees for you - i.e. you have 30 burpees to do and 3 of your teammates each do 5 burpees...you now only have to do 15. We did that for each other more than a couple times. Even so, I think I did well over 100 burpees throughout the course of the race...<b> </b><br /><br /><b>I could go on for days about the obstacles</b>, but the bottom line is...this race was a TON of fun<b>! </b>I mean... <b>I got to run all over Fenway Park! </b>The concourses, the bleachers, the dugouts, the locker room, the warning track, the Green Monster...I even touched the scoreboard! For a Red Sox fan...<b>that\'s pretty fantastic</b>. The medal was special too - the lanyard part of it (I have no idea what the proper name is) had Red Sox-themed lettering for \"2013\", and on the back of the medal was Fenway Park itself. Pretty sweet reminder, if you ask me.<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jcH6tkJo1uU/UooyR3L0cYI/AAAAAAAAFVM/6ieo0yj3jdQ/s1600/IMG_20131117_131115117.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jcH6tkJo1uU/UooyR3L0cYI/AAAAAAAAFVM/6ieo0yj3jdQ/s320/IMG_20131117_131115117.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"300\" /></a></div>This race was also a great learning experience - I learned just what I can expect from an obstacle race, where my strengths lie, what I need to work on, and what techniques I need to practice. Now that I know what I can do with regular road races and with obstacle races, I can set realistic goals for next year and plan how to train. <b>I\'m already working on filling up next year\'s race calendar! </b>I\'m actively seeking out sponsors for a number of races - if you\'re interested in being one of them, reach out (Darrell@SoTHISIsFitness.com). I\'ve already got my first sponsor signed on for a few races up in Newburyport / Salisbury (more on that very soon!). I\'m looking forward to a year of seeing what I\'m made of and pushing myself to the limit! I might even do my first marathon next year!<br /><br /><b>Nothing is out of reach</b>. Remember - given time and training, <b>anything is possible.</b><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nodmU6vwBhU/UowoUppbsoI/AAAAAAAAFWM/-sTLnd7m3ts/s1600/1384644592854.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nodmU6vwBhU/UowoUppbsoI/AAAAAAAAFWM/-sTLnd7m3ts/s400/1384644592854.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div style=\"text-align: center;\">If you want to do a Spartan, visit www.SpartanRace.com or reach out to me and I can help you find a good one!<br /><br /><b>PS - After alllllll that...I did a double workout the next day. NO REST! Beast up! AROOOOO!</b></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><b></b></div><br />','AROO!!! Spartan Sprint Fenway Recap','','publish','open','open','','aroo-spartan-sprint-fenway-recap','','','2017-01-18 07:45:52','2017-01-18 12:45:52','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=89',0,'post','',0),(90,1,'2013-11-09 20:00:00','2013-11-10 01:00:00','Finally updated the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/running-playlist\" target=\"_blank\">running playlist.</a> Learned a lot in the past couple months about running, my pace, etc, and I\'ve made some changes and additions to the playlist to go along with that. <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/achievement-unlocked-13-1.html\" target=\"_blank\">Finishing that half-marathon </a>taught me a lot, too! Read on to check out the changes, and why I made them. Check out the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/running-playlist\" target=\"_blank\">running playlist here!</a><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8LEdP8TY7uI/Ueh2Kn3CLTI/AAAAAAAAA7A/bpCKl5WHzZk/s1600/IMG_20130718_185043_332.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"180\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8LEdP8TY7uI/Ueh2Kn3CLTI/AAAAAAAAA7A/bpCKl5WHzZk/s320/IMG_20130718_185043_332.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><br /> <br /><a name=\'more\'></a>You\'ll notice there\'s a lot of slower songs - around 130 bpm - that were added - I\'m still in the process of feeling those out on distance runs. They encourage me to keep a pace I can maintain over the course of 13 miles. I\'ll have to do a few more long runs to say whether they\'re keepers or not, but <b>so far</b> they\'re working for me. <br /><br /><b>ADDITIONALLY - </b>as of right now...everything 146 BPM and faster is part of a second, separate playlist for \"sprints\" - 5K\'s, maybe 10K\'s...shorter runs with a much faster pace! Right now I don\'t have the endurance, I don\'t think, to maintain my 5K pace over much more than a 10K pace...we\'ll see what happens.<br /><br />Newly added:<br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8eXaXoUJRQ\" target=\"_blank\">128 BPM - Selena Gomez - Slow Down&nbsp;</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys7-6_t7OEQ\" target=\"_blank\">128 BPM - Justin Bieber ft. Nicki Minaj - Beauty &amp; A Beat&nbsp;</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDrschw-wdI\" target=\"_blank\">128 BPM - Ke$ha - Warrior </a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOubzHCUt48\" target=\"_blank\">128 BPM - Ke$ha - Die Young</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89u9T7WDoaM\" target=\"_blank\">130 BPM - Selena Gomez - Come &amp; Get It (Dave Aude Club Remix)</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAhHNCfA7NI\" target=\"_blank\">130 BPM - Alexandra Stan - Mr. Saxobeat&nbsp;</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHESy8XsJPs\" target=\"_blank\">130 BPM - Pitbull ft. Ke$ha - Timber&nbsp;</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w211KOQ5BMI\" target=\"_blank\">132 BPM - Rage Against The Machine - Sleep Now In The Fire </a><br /><a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV1hKciJTgg\" target=\"_blank\">133 BPM - The Offspring - Hit That</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pco91kroVgQ\" target=\"_blank\">140 BPM - Lady Gaga - Applause&nbsp;</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq0H-1IuaY8\" target=\"_blank\">143 BPM - The Offspring - (Can\'t Get My) Head Around You&nbsp;</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNXmKiEqVx4\" target=\"_blank\">160 BPM - Metallica - Ain\'t My Bitch</a> <br /><br />Back on the list:<br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpjGVyxZRDY\" target=\"_blank\">139 BPM - Britney Spears - Toxic (Armand Van Helden Remix)&nbsp; </a><br /><br />Cut From The List:<br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJH38M723aU\" target=\"_blank\">123 BPM - Shiny Toy Guns - Le Disko (too slow)</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-jC3H_8Dk4\" target=\"_blank\">215 BPM - Good Charlotte - Lifestyles of The Rich And The Famous (too fast)</a><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlOAMKTj0hU\" target=\"_blank\"><br /></a> <br /><br />Again...let\'s not forget that disclaimer...<b>just because I\'d run to it...doesn\'t necessarily mean I\'d listen to it in real life.</b><br /><br /><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/running-playlist\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Check out the running playlist here!&nbsp;</b></a>','Playlist Update - Go The Distance','','publish','open','open','','playlist-update-go-the-distance','','','2017-01-21 09:28:33','2017-01-21 14:28:33','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=90',0,'post','',0),(91,1,'2013-11-04 15:32:00','2013-11-04 20:32:00','I\'ve been thinking a lot lately about what moves people...what motivates us to get out there and GET IT on a daily basis? What moves us to make the lazy choices, the crazy choices...the choices PERIOD? On that note...I\'ve been moved to do something that I\'ve been kind of quiet about -<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QC8YTfri-lI/UnekPXeyxqI/AAAAAAAAE1k/cCU1X4znnT4/s1600/Spartan-Race-Spartan-Logo2.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"125\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QC8YTfri-lI/UnekPXeyxqI/AAAAAAAAE1k/cCU1X4znnT4/s400/Spartan-Race-Spartan-Logo2.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div>Yup - I\'m doing an obstacle race now! On November 16th, right about noon, I\'ll be doing the<a href=\"http://www.spartanrace.com/\" target=\"_blank\"> Spartan Sprint Time Trial</a> at <a href=\"http://mlb.mlb.com/bos/ballpark/index.jsp\" target=\"_blank\">Fenway Park</a>. Because a regular 5K wasn\'t enough...let\'s throw in some obstacles. So what gives? Why would I do something like that? Why would someone else? Why would someone even get up off the couch to run a REGULAR 5K? On this chilly Motivational Monday morning...I\'d like to answer that question to the best of my ability.<br /><a name=\'more\'></a><b><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Yes, </span></b><span style=\"font-size: small;\">November 16th at 12:15 pm I will be running the Spartan Sprint TT at Fenway Park as a part of the Masonic Medical Research Lab\'s team - The Ruffians (that was the most badass name the Masons could come up with I guess. haha). I was pretty quiet about this because I wanted the attention to be on my big half-marathon and the fundraising campaign that went along with it (thanks again to those who donated!).&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><b>BUT! </b>Now that it\'s done, I\'ve completed the half-marathon, and the fundraising is complete...it\'s time to focus on the newest challenge. But what exactly is a Spartan Race? <b>It\'s an Obstacle Course Race (OCR). </b>Ok...what is THAT?<br /><br /><b>It\'s exactly what it sounds like.</b><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FYdFaqmyu6c/Uneor1ZCHxI/AAAAAAAAE14/jO7xPRu1V90/s1600/tough-mudder-numbers_fe.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"225\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FYdFaqmyu6c/Uneor1ZCHxI/AAAAAAAAE14/jO7xPRu1V90/s400/tough-mudder-numbers_fe.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7CPbinDGRwc/UnepL7TiIQI/AAAAAAAAE2I/Kh-zyE_RKFc/s1600/Tough-Mudder.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"213\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7CPbinDGRwc/UnepL7TiIQI/AAAAAAAAE2I/Kh-zyE_RKFc/s320/Tough-Mudder.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-glP-ZweDUyM/Uneo5zEc2MI/AAAAAAAAE2E/xSeHLhzF-Zk/s1600/tough-mudder.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"210\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-glP-ZweDUyM/Uneo5zEc2MI/AAAAAAAAE2E/xSeHLhzF-Zk/s320/tough-mudder.png\" width=\"320\" /></a></div>An Obstacle Course Race, such as a Tough Mudder or Spartan Race, is just that...an race on an obstacle course! There are many different ones, and many different lengths. There\'s the Tough Mudder, which is roughly a half-marathon with about 20-something obstacles, there\'s the Spartan Race, which has a few different varieties within itself, and there\'s MANY others, all sprouting up from the original popularity of Tough Mudder and Spartan. Remember in <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/achievement-unlocked-13-1.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Achievement Unlocked - 13.1</a>\" I mentioned every race half-marathon and up tends to give you a finisher\'s medal? <b>So do all these obstacle races. </b>Why? Because they\'re just as much of an accomplishment to finish as a half-marathon. Hell...some of them ARE a half-marathon!<br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>So Let\'s Talk about the Spartan Race</b></span><br /><br /><b>Spartan Races come in a number of flavors: </b>The Spartan Sprint (about 3+miles), Spartan Super (8+ miles), Spartan Beast (12+ miles), Spartan Ultra Beast (26+ miles), and Spartan Death Race (48 hours of ridiculous). There are also Time Trials (what I\'m doing) that seem to range in length from 1 mile to 3 miles, and other military-style races (as if a regular Spartan wasn\'t military enough). <br /><br /><b>How about the one I\'m doing? </b>Spartan Sprint Time Trial at Fenway Park. Let me tell you how FUN this looks! Many of you probably wouldn\'t consider carrying a 60 lb sandbag up, down and across the bleachers at a ballpark \"fun\"... I wouldn\'t have either a year ago.<br /><b> </b><br /><br /><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Which Brings Me To My Topic For Today: What Moves You?</span></b> <br /><br />What is it that makes you do what you do? What makes you run? What makes you bike? What makes you do P90X, INSANITY, COMBAT, etc? Why on EARTH would you run a freaking obstacle race? <b>What Moves You?</b><br /><br /><b>Everyone has something different</b> that moves them - that makes them do what they do. Some people want to make a change. Some people want to take on a challenge. Do you move in memory of someone? Because your friend is doing it? Because you\'re bored?<br /><b> </b><br /><b>I want to challenge you. </b>I want you to get out of your comfort zone. Do something <b>different</b>. Do something <b>challenging</b>. Get up off the couch and <b>start something</b>. If you\'re already off the couch and moving...take on a <b>bigger challenge. </b>Work <b>harder. </b>Go <b>farther.</b> <b>Push yourself</b>. Every day is valuable - it\'s up to us to take life by the horns and ride! If you get thrown off the bull, catch up, get back on, and <b>show it who\'s the boss!</b> I learned a valuable lesson throughout <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">my journey</a> - every day counts - LIVE LIFE! So, <b>MY next challenge?</b><br /><br /><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">THIS sure looks like fun:</span></b><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-My_WV7HXhHk/UnekxWHIqFI/AAAAAAAAE1w/A_k-VvQ1MEE/s1600/spartan+spartans.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"265\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-My_WV7HXhHk/UnekxWHIqFI/AAAAAAAAE1w/A_k-VvQ1MEE/s400/spartan+spartans.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><b>So WHY exactly </b>would I want to get the stuffing beat out of me by <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Gladiators\" target=\"_blank\">Nitro and Gold from American Gladiators</a>? <b>Because I can. </b>Because <b>it\'s there</b>. Because I want to <b>challenge myself </b>and <b>push my limits. </b>I want to see <b>just how far I can go</b> and prove that with time and training, <b>anything is possible.</b>. Don\'t listen to those clowns that tell you something is impossible. <b>Nothing is impossible.</b> Get out there and <b>GET IT!</b>','What Moves You? - Obstacle Race Time!','','publish','open','open','','what-moves-you-obstacle-race-time','','','2017-01-20 16:47:41','2017-01-20 21:47:41','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=91',0,'post','',0),(92,1,'2013-10-28 13:07:00','2013-10-28 17:07:00','I did it. It\'s all over. 13 point freaking one miles. I can\'t believe I did that! And I can\'t believe my time either! It\'s been an incredible journey up to this point, and there are many miles ahead as I continue on to the next goal.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aBQQ16x-OUg/Um1PTRq8vEI/AAAAAAAAB6k/VrHqgDlWO9Y/s1600/cchalfbibmedal.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aBQQ16x-OUg/Um1PTRq8vEI/AAAAAAAAB6k/VrHqgDlWO9Y/s400/cchalfbibmedal.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"376\" /></a></div><br />So today, as I recover, I think I\'ll take some time to talk about the last couple of weeks - the injury worries, the Boston Firefighter\'s Memorial 10K, and the half-marathon itself! I have a lot to catch up on...bear with me!<br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><b>Lesson Learned - Listen To Your Body! If It Feels Wrong...Something\'s Wrong!</b><br /><b>&nbsp;</b> <br />So I\'ll start with the injury worries that, for a minute, I thought might knock me out of the half marathon before I even started. <a href=\"http://runkeeper.com/user/dwmctague/activity/249332036\" target=\"_blank\">September 29th I went for a 10 mile run</a> as part of my training for the half. I was <b>wrecked</b> for the rest of the day - limping everywhere. I ended up feeling some pain on the outside of my left knee...I\'d never felt pain there, but I thought nothing of it. I gave myself a full week of rest to recover from it. Fast-forward to the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/canal-run-10kburpee-recap-lessons.html\" target=\"_blank\">Canal Run For The Troops 10K</a>...and things got bad. Not only was I feeling that left knee pain I\'d never felt before the 10 miler...but at 5.7 miles I was stopped dead in my tracks by debilitating right hamstring pain (right at the bottom of the hamstring). I thought it was just an immense cramp, and almost a month later I\'m still not sure what it was. I do know that I\'ve been able to stretch on the spot and run through it every time it comes up. I struggled through the last half mile of the Canal Run and finished.<br /><br /><b>At that point I hit the panic button</b>...made appointments with my primary care doctor (not until November), a podiatrist (not until 10/31) and my physical therapist (right away). As it turns out, my work shoes were too small and caused acute plantar fasciitis, which led to I.T. Band irritation on my left side. Painful, but not nearly as bad as it could have been. I took the right steps by getting new work shoes and new insoles as soon as my foot started really hurting, but by that point the \"damage\" had been done as far as my knee was concerned. My physical therapist was able to help me identify the problem (I.T. Band) and do some work to help me get through the half-marathon. Good news is, I did it...and now I\'ll see the podiatrist to permanently resolve the plantar fascia / foot issue and be back to normal come springtime, or maybe even later this winter (frozen fivers, anyone?).<br /><br /><b>For those who didn\'t read that far - ow.&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XPYKPgdyp50/Um3YULJePbI/AAAAAAAAB7I/YjkpOBd3p-Y/s1600/ffrunning.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XPYKPgdyp50/Um3YULJePbI/AAAAAAAAB7I/YjkpOBd3p-Y/s400/ffrunning.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"355\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><br /><b>Anyway, Boston <a href=\"http://www.bostonfirefighters10k.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Firefighters\' Memorial 10K</a></b><br /><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xqrK0835xfg/Um3UC3Jt9gI/AAAAAAAAB60/OVCcWcidw8I/s1600/IMG_20131027_123212_380.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xqrK0835xfg/Um3UC3Jt9gI/AAAAAAAAB60/OVCcWcidw8I/s320/IMG_20131027_123212_380.jpg\" height=\"249\" width=\"320\" /></a></div>This race was supposed to be my last \"big\" run before the half-marathon...and it ended up being even more important than that - it became the big test to see if I\'d actually BE ABLE to run the half. I want to start off by saying a big THANK YOU to <a href=\"http://www.flexappealsportsnutrition.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Flex Appeal Sports Nutrition</a> for sponsoring me for this race!<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TsjXAnnOMfU/Um3bOc0RrJI/AAAAAAAAB7U/zfRPhtwIa6I/s1600/1526170193.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TsjXAnnOMfU/Um3bOc0RrJI/AAAAAAAAB7U/zfRPhtwIa6I/s320/1526170193.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"213\" /></a></div>I have to say, I had a lot of fun with this race, and I learned a lot about my body, my legs, and my running. This race is apparently a big deal - lots of firefighters and military people coming out to support the cause. This was the 31st running, so they know what they\'re doing, and they had a huge level of support from countless area businesses. I ended up taking home a free year\'s subscription to New England Runner...they were literally just tossing stuff out there.<br /><br />Anyway, as far as the race itself - the course was pretty flat overall. I got to run through some major highway space which was pretty cool. It\'s too bad I\'m not much of a mid-run photographer...the firefighters had their boat spraying water everywhere for runners to see as we went over a bridge and ran through the harborwalk area. That\'s ok...my Droid stays right in my <a href=\"http://www.tunebelt.com/\" target=\"_blank\">TuneBelt</a> where I like it.<br /><br />Unfortunately, thanks to more walk-breaks than I would\'ve liked, I didn\'t quite get the time I wanted. I finished in 56:39, 9:08 min/mile average. 467th of 995 overall.&nbsp; I was hoping to&nbsp; break 54 minutes, and I know I can do it...but my knee/I.T. Band was an issue...oh well. There\'s always next time, and I know what I\'m capable of. Still WAY better than my first 10K!<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aBQQ16x-OUg/Um1PTRq8vEI/AAAAAAAAB6o/Jbpg1k1FvTg/s1600/cchalfbibmedal.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aBQQ16x-OUg/Um1PTRq8vEI/AAAAAAAAB6o/Jbpg1k1FvTg/s320/cchalfbibmedal.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"301\" /></a></div><br /><br /><b>The Cape Cod Marathon Half&nbsp;</b><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><b><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IPPwJAkgugM/Um5NesTuz5I/AAAAAAAAB74/vRgMxUqcW4Y/s1600/IMG_20131026_072625_288.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IPPwJAkgugM/Um5NesTuz5I/AAAAAAAAB74/vRgMxUqcW4Y/s400/IMG_20131026_072625_288.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"225\" /></a></b></div><br />This was it...the big one! I\'ve been training for this for three months! I still can\'t believe it. It was an incredible experience getting my first 13.1...I feel so accomplished! It\'s so different running a half-marathon than it is to run a 5K or 10K...much more challenging and a completely different mindset.<br /><br />This race, as well as the full marathon and relay, are put on by the Falmouth Track Club. The half is a beautiful course that starts in front of the post office downtown, does a little loop in the downtown area, then goes along Surf Drive, to Woods Hole along the Shining Sea Bikeway, back to Falmouth along the first three miles of the Falmouth Road Race route, and finishes in Town Hall Square. The full/relay goes in a big loop all around Falmouth, starting in the same place and finishing downtown. <br /><br />Before I launch into it...a big thanks to all my sponsors that made it possible not only for me to run, but for me to be able to afford the gear necessary to train and compete in cold weather! It was 35 degrees at the start! SportClips in Falmouth was my title sponsor and, actually, my first sponsor period! I was fortunate enough to have a lot of sponsors - please check out the Sponsors Page to see who thought I was good enough to sponsor! THANKS!<br /><br />So, the race itself...first off let me just say I have never before run in such absolutely FRIGID weather! It was bone-chilling cold...and I know it\'ll get colder, so I shouldn\'t complain...<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Tm3CKve_jk/Um5XwptI9yI/AAAAAAAAB8I/LTCRS_xD34Y/s1600/IMG_20131026_072611_869.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Tm3CKve_jk/Um5XwptI9yI/AAAAAAAAB8I/LTCRS_xD34Y/s400/IMG_20131026_072611_869.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"225\" /></a><br /><b>That cold weather was forgotten</b> as I passed the first mile marker...traded my Under Armour beanie for a sweatband and kept on truckin\'. I had gone four miles before I even realized what happened! It was at that point I realized just how different the mindset is when you run different races - Your mind and your&nbsp; body adjust to the length of the race! 6 days prior, when I hit 4 miles I felt like I had gone so much farther...but during the half? I wasn\'t even 1/3 done...and I felt like I could keep going for days! It\'s interesting, that\'s for sure.<br /><br />And it is at this point I would like to say - what a beautiful course! As we ran along Surf Drive, with the beach to our left...I was marveling at how great the scenery was. If it\'s one thing I\'m coming to realize is a treat about foot races, it\'s that it\'s about taking time to appreciate the scenery, get in touch with your body and your world, and just <b>be</b>. If you\'re in the market for a gorgeous road race, look into the Cape Cod Marathon Half. We turned left onto the Shining Sea Bikeway to make our way to Woods Hole, and were treated to more of the same beautiful sunrise / early morning beach views. Makes me wish I was taking pictures.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><b>It was at this point - about 4.5 miles, I had my first problem.</b> The right hamstring issue, that I didn\'t experience AT ALL during the Firefighters\' 10K, came back! I immediately stopped off to the side, stretched it out and kept on going. I had to do this several times between 4.5 miles and 5.5 miles (which slowed me down by a couple minutes, total), but by the time I got off the bike path and into Woods Hole I had run through it.<br /><br /><b>But now I had a new challenge...</b><br /><br />The entirety of the CCM Half is flat...except for miles 6.5 - 9.5. Those three miles are the first three miles of the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/and-then-i-ran-falmouth-road-race.html\" target=\"_blank\">Falmouth Road Race</a>, so there\'s rolling hills, including Nobska Lighthouse. This was the challenge not because of the hills, but because my I.T. Band is sore 100% of the time going uphill (it\'s in and out / avoidable on flat terrain and non-existent on downhills). This part of the course slowed me down by probably a minute or two...I went slower than I wanted and had to take a bit more walk-break than I wanted. I got through it though...and at mile 9 I had a feeling...<br /><br /><b>But at Mile 10 I knew - </b>I had a real shot to break 2 hours 15 minutes! Not only that, but if my math was right...if I was able to keep up 9 minute miles, hell...just be better than 10 minute miles...<b>I could break 2:10!</b> At that point, nothing else mattered. I had, at that point, officially run farther than I ever had in one shot before...<b>and nothing was going to stop me from breaking 2:10.</b> I told myself no more walk breaks - <b>walk when you finish</b>. I told myself the knee and the I.T. Band weren\'t going to be a problem - <b>I\'ve come too far to crap out now</b>. This was <b>my time</b>, and I was going to <b>nail it</b>.<br /><br /><b>And I did.&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><b><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GJxqwdI2ffI/Um3glwJ8W3I/AAAAAAAAB7o/GozBLla5nSU/s1600/IMG_20131026_094154_638.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GJxqwdI2ffI/Um3glwJ8W3I/AAAAAAAAB7o/GozBLla5nSU/s400/IMG_20131026_094154_638.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"225\" /></a></b></div><br />When I started the race, the one thing I hadn\'t checked that morning was my playlist. There were about 12 songs not showing up that I had put on...and I thought nothing of it. Ironically, at Mile 13, with the .1 miles of the finish line lead-up left to go...I ran out of music. For the last .1 I had to listen to my own huffing and puffing, but I got to hear the sound of the crowd...the cheering and clapping...and I saw that LED clock...2:09:22...<b>it was in reach! </b>I crossed at 2:09:29.&nbsp;<b> </b>Thirteen point FREAKING one miles...accomplished. I found out that considering how serious of an accomplishment it is and how hard you have to work to be able to do it...it seems every race half-marathon or longer gives you a finisher\'s medal after crossing the finish line. Know why? <b>Not everyone finishes. </b>There were 1,200 people in this race...<b>995 finished</b>. The first picture in this article was the bib and finisher\'s medal, but I put it in again in this part too - that will not be the last finisher\'s medal I get. I\'ve got big plans for next year.<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4k1AEXVlVg/Um5bUPpXt1I/AAAAAAAAB8Q/nPeb7H3VN_w/s1600/IMG_20131026_095523_208.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4k1AEXVlVg/Um5bUPpXt1I/AAAAAAAAB8Q/nPeb7H3VN_w/s400/IMG_20131026_095523_208.jpg\" height=\"225\" width=\"400\" />&nbsp;</a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><br /></div><b>I thought calling this article</b> \"Achievement Unlocked - 13.1\" was  incredibly ironic considering this was about as far from sitting on a  couch playing a video game as I could be. A year ago, I WOULD\'VE been on  the couch playing a video game. Its incredible what you can achieve  when you just put your mind to it. I now firmly believe, beyond a shadow  of a doubt, something I said in a prior article - <b>Given time and training, anything is possible</b>.  I don\'t care who you are, how heavy or skinny you are, what problems  you have or how busy you are...if you put in some time, train, and get  determined, you can do anything. So, on this Motivational Monday, think about this - if, in less than 14 months, I can go from 300 lbs with a couch cushion molded to my butt to 179 and running half-marathons...<b>why can\'t you?</b> If I can do this, anyone can. I\'d love to help! If you\'re interested, check out the Coach page of this blog.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r6QzF3n9mDs/UjcbDB-Z99I/AAAAAAAABpU/2-GfIixZHmc/s1600/giventime.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r6QzF3n9mDs/UjcbDB-Z99I/AAAAAAAABpU/2-GfIixZHmc/s400/giventime.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><br />It\'s already yours...<b>Go out there and GET IT!</b>','Achievement Unlocked - 13.1','','publish','open','open','','achievement-unlocked-13-1','','','2017-01-18 07:46:18','2017-01-18 12:46:18','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=92',0,'post','',0),(696,1,'2017-01-15 08:05:40','2017-01-15 13:05:40','I did it. It\'s all over. 13 point freaking one miles. I can\'t believe I did that! And I can\'t believe my time either! It\'s been an incredible journey up to this point, and there are many miles ahead as I continue on to the next goal.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aBQQ16x-OUg/Um1PTRq8vEI/AAAAAAAAB6k/VrHqgDlWO9Y/s1600/cchalfbibmedal.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aBQQ16x-OUg/Um1PTRq8vEI/AAAAAAAAB6k/VrHqgDlWO9Y/s400/cchalfbibmedal.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"376\" /></a></div><br />So today, as I recover, I think I\'ll take some time to talk about the last couple of weeks - the injury worries, the Boston Firefighter\'s Memorial 10K, and the half-marathon itself! I have a lot to catch up on...bear with me!<br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><b>Lesson Learned - Listen To Your Body! If It Feels Wrong...Something\'s Wrong!</b><br /><b>&nbsp;</b> <br />So I\'ll start with the injury worries that, for a minute, I thought might knock me out of the half marathon before I even started. <a href=\"http://runkeeper.com/user/dwmctague/activity/249332036\" target=\"_blank\">September 29th I went for a 10 mile run</a> as part of my training for the half. I was <b>wrecked</b> for the rest of the day - limping everywhere. I ended up feeling some pain on the outside of my left knee...I\'d never felt pain there, but I thought nothing of it. I gave myself a full week of rest to recover from it. Fast-forward to the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/canal-run-10kburpee-recap-lessons.html\" target=\"_blank\">Canal Run For The Troops 10K</a>...and things got bad. Not only was I feeling that left knee pain I\'d never felt before the 10 miler...but at 5.7 miles I was stopped dead in my tracks by debilitating right hamstring pain (right at the bottom of the hamstring). I thought it was just an immense cramp, and almost a month later I\'m still not sure what it was. I do know that I\'ve been able to stretch on the spot and run through it every time it comes up. I struggled through the last half mile of the Canal Run and finished.<br /><br /><b>At that point I hit the panic button</b>...made appointments with my primary care doctor (not until November), a podiatrist (not until 10/31) and my physical therapist (right away). As it turns out, my work shoes were too small and caused acute plantar fasciitis, which led to I.T. Band irritation on my left side. Painful, but not nearly as bad as it could have been. I took the right steps by getting new work shoes and new insoles as soon as my foot started really hurting, but by that point the \"damage\" had been done as far as my knee was concerned. My physical therapist was able to help me identify the problem (I.T. Band) and do some work to help me get through the half-marathon. Good news is, I did it...and now I\'ll see the podiatrist to permanently resolve the plantar fascia / foot issue and be back to normal come springtime, or maybe even later this winter (frozen fivers, anyone?).<br /><br /><b>For those who didn\'t read that far - ow.&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XPYKPgdyp50/Um3YULJePbI/AAAAAAAAB7I/YjkpOBd3p-Y/s1600/ffrunning.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XPYKPgdyp50/Um3YULJePbI/AAAAAAAAB7I/YjkpOBd3p-Y/s400/ffrunning.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"355\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><br /><b>Anyway, Boston <a href=\"http://www.bostonfirefighters10k.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Firefighters\' Memorial 10K</a></b><br /><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xqrK0835xfg/Um3UC3Jt9gI/AAAAAAAAB60/OVCcWcidw8I/s1600/IMG_20131027_123212_380.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xqrK0835xfg/Um3UC3Jt9gI/AAAAAAAAB60/OVCcWcidw8I/s320/IMG_20131027_123212_380.jpg\" height=\"249\" width=\"320\" /></a></div>This race was supposed to be my last \"big\" run before the half-marathon...and it ended up being even more important than that - it became the big test to see if I\'d actually BE ABLE to run the half. I want to start off by saying a big THANK YOU to <a href=\"http://www.flexappealsportsnutrition.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Flex Appeal Sports Nutrition</a> for sponsoring me for this race!<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TsjXAnnOMfU/Um3bOc0RrJI/AAAAAAAAB7U/zfRPhtwIa6I/s1600/1526170193.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TsjXAnnOMfU/Um3bOc0RrJI/AAAAAAAAB7U/zfRPhtwIa6I/s320/1526170193.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"213\" /></a></div>I have to say, I had a lot of fun with this race, and I learned a lot about my body, my legs, and my running. This race is apparently a big deal - lots of firefighters and military people coming out to support the cause. This was the 31st running, so they know what they\'re doing, and they had a huge level of support from countless area businesses. I ended up taking home a free year\'s subscription to New England Runner...they were literally just tossing stuff out there.<br /><br />Anyway, as far as the race itself - the course was pretty flat overall. I got to run through some major highway space which was pretty cool. It\'s too bad I\'m not much of a mid-run photographer...the firefighters had their boat spraying water everywhere for runners to see as we went over a bridge and ran through the harborwalk area. That\'s ok...my Droid stays right in my <a href=\"http://www.tunebelt.com/\" target=\"_blank\">TuneBelt</a> where I like it.<br /><br />Unfortunately, thanks to more walk-breaks than I would\'ve liked, I didn\'t quite get the time I wanted. I finished in 56:39, 9:08 min/mile average. 467th of 995 overall.&nbsp; I was hoping to&nbsp; break 54 minutes, and I know I can do it...but my knee/I.T. Band was an issue...oh well. There\'s always next time, and I know what I\'m capable of. Still WAY better than my first 10K!<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aBQQ16x-OUg/Um1PTRq8vEI/AAAAAAAAB6o/Jbpg1k1FvTg/s1600/cchalfbibmedal.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aBQQ16x-OUg/Um1PTRq8vEI/AAAAAAAAB6o/Jbpg1k1FvTg/s320/cchalfbibmedal.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"301\" /></a></div><br /><br /><b>The Cape Cod Marathon Half&nbsp;</b><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><b><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IPPwJAkgugM/Um5NesTuz5I/AAAAAAAAB74/vRgMxUqcW4Y/s1600/IMG_20131026_072625_288.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IPPwJAkgugM/Um5NesTuz5I/AAAAAAAAB74/vRgMxUqcW4Y/s400/IMG_20131026_072625_288.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"225\" /></a></b></div><br />This was it...the big one! I\'ve been training for this for three months! I still can\'t believe it. It was an incredible experience getting my first 13.1...I feel so accomplished! It\'s so different running a half-marathon than it is to run a 5K or 10K...much more challenging and a completely different mindset.<br /><br />This race, as well as the full marathon and relay, are put on by the Falmouth Track Club. The half is a beautiful course that starts in front of the post office downtown, does a little loop in the downtown area, then goes along Surf Drive, to Woods Hole along the Shining Sea Bikeway, back to Falmouth along the first three miles of the Falmouth Road Race route, and finishes in Town Hall Square. The full/relay goes in a big loop all around Falmouth, starting in the same place and finishing downtown. <br /><br />Before I launch into it...a big thanks to all my sponsors that made it possible not only for me to run, but for me to be able to afford the gear necessary to train and compete in cold weather! It was 35 degrees at the start! SportClips in Falmouth was my title sponsor and, actually, my first sponsor period! I was fortunate enough to have a lot of sponsors - please check out the Sponsors Page to see who thought I was good enough to sponsor! THANKS!<br /><br />So, the race itself...first off let me just say I have never before run in such absolutely FRIGID weather! It was bone-chilling cold...and I know it\'ll get colder, so I shouldn\'t complain...<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Tm3CKve_jk/Um5XwptI9yI/AAAAAAAAB8I/LTCRS_xD34Y/s1600/IMG_20131026_072611_869.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Tm3CKve_jk/Um5XwptI9yI/AAAAAAAAB8I/LTCRS_xD34Y/s400/IMG_20131026_072611_869.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"225\" /></a><br /><b>That cold weather was forgotten</b> as I passed the first mile marker...traded my Under Armour beanie for a sweatband and kept on truckin\'. I had gone four miles before I even realized what happened! It was at that point I realized just how different the mindset is when you run different races - Your mind and your&nbsp; body adjust to the length of the race! 6 days prior, when I hit 4 miles I felt like I had gone so much farther...but during the half? I wasn\'t even 1/3 done...and I felt like I could keep going for days! It\'s interesting, that\'s for sure.<br /><br />And it is at this point I would like to say - what a beautiful course! As we ran along Surf Drive, with the beach to our left...I was marveling at how great the scenery was. If it\'s one thing I\'m coming to realize is a treat about foot races, it\'s that it\'s about taking time to appreciate the scenery, get in touch with your body and your world, and just <b>be</b>. If you\'re in the market for a gorgeous road race, look into the Cape Cod Marathon Half. We turned left onto the Shining Sea Bikeway to make our way to Woods Hole, and were treated to more of the same beautiful sunrise / early morning beach views. Makes me wish I was taking pictures.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><b>It was at this point - about 4.5 miles, I had my first problem.</b> The right hamstring issue, that I didn\'t experience AT ALL during the Firefighters\' 10K, came back! I immediately stopped off to the side, stretched it out and kept on going. I had to do this several times between 4.5 miles and 5.5 miles (which slowed me down by a couple minutes, total), but by the time I got off the bike path and into Woods Hole I had run through it.<br /><br /><b>But now I had a new challenge...</b><br /><br />The entirety of the CCM Half is flat...except for miles 6.5 - 9.5. Those three miles are the first three miles of the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/andtheniranfalmouthroadrace.html\" target=\"_blank\">Falmouth Road Race</a>, so there\'s rolling hills, including Nobska Lighthouse. This was the challenge not because of the hills, but because my I.T. Band is sore 100% of the time going uphill (it\'s in and out / avoidable on flat terrain and non-existent on downhills). This part of the course slowed me down by probably a minute or two...I went slower than I wanted and had to take a bit more walk-break than I wanted. I got through it though...and at mile 9 I had a feeling...<br /><br /><b>But at Mile 10 I knew - </b>I had a real shot to break 2 hours 15 minutes! Not only that, but if my math was right...if I was able to keep up 9 minute miles, hell...just be better than 10 minute miles...<b>I could break 2:10!</b> At that point, nothing else mattered. I had, at that point, officially run farther than I ever had in one shot before...<b>and nothing was going to stop me from breaking 2:10.</b> I told myself no more walk breaks - <b>walk when you finish</b>. I told myself the knee and the I.T. Band weren\'t going to be a problem - <b>I\'ve come too far to crap out now</b>. This was <b>my time</b>, and I was going to <b>nail it</b>.<br /><br /><b>And I did.&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><b><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GJxqwdI2ffI/Um3glwJ8W3I/AAAAAAAAB7o/GozBLla5nSU/s1600/IMG_20131026_094154_638.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GJxqwdI2ffI/Um3glwJ8W3I/AAAAAAAAB7o/GozBLla5nSU/s400/IMG_20131026_094154_638.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"225\" /></a></b></div><br />When I started the race, the one thing I hadn\'t checked that morning was my playlist. There were about 12 songs not showing up that I had put on...and I thought nothing of it. Ironically, at Mile 13, with the .1 miles of the finish line lead-up left to go...I ran out of music. For the last .1 I had to listen to my own huffing and puffing, but I got to hear the sound of the crowd...the cheering and clapping...and I saw that LED clock...2:09:22...<b>it was in reach! </b>I crossed at 2:09:29.&nbsp;<b> </b>Thirteen point FREAKING one miles...accomplished. I found out that considering how serious of an accomplishment it is and how hard you have to work to be able to do it...it seems every race half-marathon or longer gives you a finisher\'s medal after crossing the finish line. Know why? <b>Not everyone finishes. </b>There were 1,200 people in this race...<b>995 finished</b>. The first picture in this article was the bib and finisher\'s medal, but I put it in again in this part too - that will not be the last finisher\'s medal I get. I\'ve got big plans for next year.<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4k1AEXVlVg/Um5bUPpXt1I/AAAAAAAAB8Q/nPeb7H3VN_w/s1600/IMG_20131026_095523_208.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4k1AEXVlVg/Um5bUPpXt1I/AAAAAAAAB8Q/nPeb7H3VN_w/s400/IMG_20131026_095523_208.jpg\" height=\"225\" width=\"400\" />&nbsp;</a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><br /></div><b>I thought calling this article</b> \"Achievement Unlocked - 13.1\" was  incredibly ironic considering this was about as far from sitting on a  couch playing a video game as I could be. A year ago, I WOULD\'VE been on  the couch playing a video game. Its incredible what you can achieve  when you just put your mind to it. I now firmly believe, beyond a shadow  of a doubt, something I said in a prior article - <b>Given time and training, anything is possible</b>.  I don\'t care who you are, how heavy or skinny you are, what problems  you have or how busy you are...if you put in some time, train, and get  determined, you can do anything. So, on this Motivational Monday, think about this - if, in less than 14 months, I can go from 300 lbs with a couch cushion molded to my butt to 179 and running half-marathons...<b>why can\'t you?</b> If I can do this, anyone can. I\'d love to help! If you\'re interested, check out the Coach page of this blog.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r6QzF3n9mDs/UjcbDB-Z99I/AAAAAAAABpU/2-GfIixZHmc/s1600/giventime.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r6QzF3n9mDs/UjcbDB-Z99I/AAAAAAAABpU/2-GfIixZHmc/s400/giventime.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><br />It\'s already yours...<b>Go out there and GET IT!</b>','Achievement Unlocked - 13.1','','inherit','closed','closed','','92-revision-v1','','','2017-01-15 08:05:40','2017-01-15 13:05:40','',92,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/01/92-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(93,1,'2013-10-16 21:55:00','2013-10-17 01:55:00','Once again, I thought long and hard about how to approach this topic, but the simplest way to say it is - going through a health &amp; fitness journey alone <b>sucks</b> and often <b>just doesn\'t work</b>. For so many years I tried and failed to do it on my own. The desire was there, and I did use the word \"tried\"...<br /><br />Many, maybe even most people out there just can\'t do it alone, and if you\'re one of those people<b>...I get it. </b>I\'m not gonna say it\'s not your fault because, frankly, I don\'t think there necessarily <i>is </i>anyone at fault...it\'s just <b>freaking hard </b>to go it alone. In the last week I have really embraced, openly, the \"group effort\". I became a BeachBody Coach and immediately set out to start a P90X Challenge Group to help people make a change, stay with it, and <b>succeed</b> (more on that later). Today, on Hump Day no less, I want to talk about how to get over the hump of sticking with your health &amp; fitness decision by not having to go it alone. You might think twice about your impending solo act.<br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dz2l_d_zAoU/UlQOwn7vPSI/AAAAAAAAB3U/0skgMkyckXk/s1600/IMG_20131005_093735_948.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dz2l_d_zAoU/UlQOwn7vPSI/AAAAAAAAB3U/0skgMkyckXk/s400/IMG_20131005_093735_948.jpg\" width=\"225\" /></a></div>I\'ll come right out and say it - <b>going it alone sucks.</b> Some people out there have the drive and motivation needed to make change happen without anyone else there to push them, encourage them, and do it with them. Looking back,<b> I was not one of them. </b>I recognize that. I had my fiancee Megan there with me from <b>before </b>Day 1. When the decision was made to start...we decided it <b>together</b>. I tried for years to do it alone, and it never stuck. Without anyone there to help motivate me...it was so easy to just say \"nah...not today\" or \"<i>God Almighty</i> this is too hard...I\'m out\".<br /><br /><b>Nah, I\'m Totally Capable, I Can Do This!</b><br /><br />Ok, that\'s great! There <b>are</b> people out there who can get it done on their own. People who are SO motivated...SO driven, that they could not only complete a fitness program on their own...they could climb Mt. Freaking Everest on their own. I <i>wish </i>I was one of those guys. I mean, I probably am NOW, but then again, NOW I\'m fit, healthy, and I <b>enjoy </b>this stuff. I\'m talking last August, when I was 300 lbs and hadn\'t started this whole thing yet. <i>That guy </i>wishes he was driven enough to do it alone. If you\'re one of those people, I encourage you to <b>go for it</b> and make it happen. <b>You </b>are the kind of person who helps motivate others towards their successes. <br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Why Should I Have Others?</b></span><br /><br /><b>No Easy Outs</b><br />I have found, over the course of the years, that <b>not </b>having someone else doing it with you and committed to it...there are a lot of easy outs. For one, <b>nobody is there to see you quit</b>. It\'s really easy to quit when you don\'t have anyone to answer to...nobody to witness it. It\'s like it never happened! I feel like that\'s one of the top reasons people are...OK...with giving up. <b>It\'s not ok.</b> You\'re only letting yourself down. It\'s so easy to fall prey to the <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/the-i-dont-feel-like-it-syndrome.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"I Don\'t Feel Like It\" Syndrome</a> when you\'re on your own...easy for <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/why-workouts-fail-1-the-napoleon-complex.html\" target=\"_blank\">The Napoleon Complex</a> to overtake you...to just plain <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/conquer-the-truth-about-motivation.html\" target=\"_blank\">lose motivation</a>!<br /><br /><b>SUPPORT!</b><br /><b>I can\'t TELL YOU </b>how great it is to have someone there reaching milestones with you, achieving successes with you...just generally sharing in the experience. It was great to get through a workout, look at Megan 5 feet away, and high five her after we finished a workout. The look we gave each other after finishing the last workout of week 1 was of such accomplishment, relief, and joy...in that moment we knew we could do it - if you can get through the first week you can get through it all...<b>and we had done it! </b>Sharing that with her was great! Working with a partner I was able to <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/09/lose-your-limits.html\" target=\"_blank\">lose my limits</a> and achieve new heights I never would\'ve dreamed of before...I\'m running a half marathon in a week and a half for crying out loud!<br /><br />Likewise, it\'s great to be able to share in your struggles and work through it together. We were both practically dying on the floor together during some of the more intense days during some of the programs we did...but we looked at each other, reaffirmed we could do it, and kept going. You keep going for yourself, you keep going for them...whether it\'s because you want to succeed for them or because you want to challenge them to keep up...it\'s because <b>they\'re there</b>. <b>They\'re doing it too. </b>That other person can make the difference. They can also help to shield you from outside influences too...help keep you strong. When you\'re in it with someone else, they can help defend against the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/haters.html\" target=\"_blank\">Haters</a>. <br /><br /><b>Accountability</b><br />If you\'re doing your workouts with someone else...they\'re gonna know if you didn\'t do it. Maybe because you work out together, maybe because you check in with each other...but <b>they\'ll know</b>. Whether they give you crap for not doing it or whether you feel guilty all on your own...having that other person can keep you honest and get you to do it on a day you\'d otherwise say <i>screw it</i>. Knowing that other person is tracking their progress and will be showing you their before/afters can also encourage you to work just a little bit harder throughout the course of the program instead of taking it easy on yourself. Besides...if you\'re gonna commit, <b>why not go whole-hog?</b><br /><br /><b>THIS IS NOT A NEW IDEA</b><br /><br />Working out with others is by no means a new idea...workout classes, CrossFit gyms, etc...there are countless people, groups, and organizations that use and encourage the buddy system or the group mentality. Why? <b>Because it works</b>. Having a community of people all in it together makes it work so much better.<br /><b> </b><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KuZMwagaiGg/UlgGym6nN4I/AAAAAAAAB4E/UfZQ_RrjzXI/s1600/BBAltSigB.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KuZMwagaiGg/UlgGym6nN4I/AAAAAAAAB4E/UfZQ_RrjzXI/s1600/BBAltSigB.jpg\" /></a></div><b> </b><br /><b> </b><br /><b>What About That \"Challenge Group\" You Mentioned?</b><br /><br />Many<b> </b>BeachBody Coaches out there (probably all, really) run \"Challenge Groups\". Each coach, I\'m sure, does it differently. The idea, no matter how, specifically, they do it, is that a group of people (maybe 5, 10, 20...depends on the coach) all do the same program starting on the same day. They check in on a special Facebook group (or through some other method, again, depending on the coach) and talk about their progress. People in the group will talk about their struggles and successes, share in their accomplishments and difficulties, and seek advice, guidance, and motivation from the rest of the group and their coach. The coach is usually always there to actively guide and encourage the group members and provides tools for success to make sure each individual can achieve their fitness goals. Some coaches run their group for the full duration of the program, and some run it for a month or two. The idea is to help make sure, again, that each individual has the support, encouragement, and tools necessary to achieve success.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DvAPRqiRNpA/Ul8K0foMflI/AAAAAAAAB5A/WxHDvU36Jlk/s1600/challengegroup.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DvAPRqiRNpA/Ul8K0foMflI/AAAAAAAAB5A/WxHDvU36Jlk/s400/challengegroup.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><br />I am running a P90X Challenge Group. My group will be pushing play for Day 1 on Monday, October 28th. I\'ll be starting to put out information and guidance for them this weekend, getting them ready and preparing them for the challenge to come. If you are interested, please don\'t hesitate to reach out to me at <a href=\"mailto:Darrell@SoTHISIsFitness.com\">Darrell@SoTHISIsFitness.com</a>, make an account on <a href=\"http://www.teambeachbody.com/\">www.TeamBeachBody.com</a> (identify me as your coach - coach id 301487 or screenname SoTHISIsFitness - I\'ll find you), or request to join the <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/group/SoTHISIsFitness\" target=\"_blank\">\"So Fit\" Family facebook group</a>. You&nbsp; can get the program through me at www.BeachBodyCoach.com/SoTHISIsFitness . <b>If you\'re interested, you likely need to order by Friday or Saturday in order to have it in-hand in time. </b><br /><br />I\'m SO excited to have the opportunity to help people achieve their goals and finally attain success. This is the first program I did...it\'s what started me on the path to  where I am now! It\'s great to see that it\'ll also be the first program like  this for a number of people who have already committed to the Challenge  Group. I\'d love to help you too! That\'s the whole point of this blog. <br /><br /><b>So why do it alone?</b><br /><br />I\'m sure there\'s <b>someone </b>you know that also wants to make a change. <b>Someone </b>else who\'s having the same thoughts go through their head that are going through yours. Try feeling it out among those you know and see if someone wants to join you. Maybe you\'d rather go through a challenge group or online support community (like the <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/group/SoTHISIsFitness\" target=\"_blank\">So Fit Family</a>) to find your encouragement and motivation. Whatever the case, know that <b>you don\'t have to do it alone. </b>It\'s always better together. Happy Hump Day!','It\'s Always Better Together','','publish','open','open','','its-always-better-together','','','2017-01-20 16:46:25','2017-01-20 21:46:25','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=93',0,'post','',0),(694,1,'2017-01-15 08:05:24','2017-01-15 13:05:24','Once again, I thought long and hard about how to approach this topic, but the simplest way to say it is - going through a health &amp; fitness journey alone <b>sucks</b> and often <b>just doesn\'t work</b>. For so many years I tried and failed to do it on my own. The desire was there, and I did use the word \"tried\"...<br /><br />Many, maybe even most people out there just can\'t do it alone, and if you\'re one of those people<b>...I get it. </b>I\'m not gonna say it\'s not your fault because, frankly, I don\'t think there necessarily <i>is </i>anyone at fault...it\'s just <b>freaking hard </b>to go it alone. In the last week I have really embraced, openly, the \"group effort\". I became a BeachBody Coach and immediately set out to start a P90X Challenge Group to help people make a change, stay with it, and <b>succeed</b> (more on that later). Today, on Hump Day no less, I want to talk about how to get over the hump of sticking with your health &amp; fitness decision by not having to go it alone. You might think twice about your impending solo act.<br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dz2l_d_zAoU/UlQOwn7vPSI/AAAAAAAAB3U/0skgMkyckXk/s1600/IMG_20131005_093735_948.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dz2l_d_zAoU/UlQOwn7vPSI/AAAAAAAAB3U/0skgMkyckXk/s400/IMG_20131005_093735_948.jpg\" width=\"225\" /></a></div>I\'ll come right out and say it - <b>going it alone sucks.</b> Some people out there have the drive and motivation needed to make change happen without anyone else there to push them, encourage them, and do it with them. Looking back,<b> I was not one of them. </b>I recognize that. I had my fiancee Megan there with me from <b>before </b>Day 1. When the decision was made to start...we decided it <b>together</b>. I tried for years to do it alone, and it never stuck. Without anyone there to help motivate me...it was so easy to just say \"nah...not today\" or \"<i>God Almighty</i> this is too hard...I\'m out\".<br /><br /><b>Nah, I\'m Totally Capable, I Can Do This!</b><br /><br />Ok, that\'s great! There <b>are</b> people out there who can get it done on their own. People who are SO motivated...SO driven, that they could not only complete a fitness program on their own...they could climb Mt. Freaking Everest on their own. I <i>wish </i>I was one of those guys. I mean, I probably am NOW, but then again, NOW I\'m fit, healthy, and I <b>enjoy </b>this stuff. I\'m talking last August, when I was 300 lbs and hadn\'t started this whole thing yet. <i>That guy </i>wishes he was driven enough to do it alone. If you\'re one of those people, I encourage you to <b>go for it</b> and make it happen. <b>You </b>are the kind of person who helps motivate others towards their successes. <br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Why Should I Have Others?</b></span><br /><br /><b>No Easy Outs</b><br />I have found, over the course of the years, that <b>not </b>having someone else doing it with you and committed to it...there are a lot of easy outs. For one, <b>nobody is there to see you quit</b>. It\'s really easy to quit when you don\'t have anyone to answer to...nobody to witness it. It\'s like it never happened! I feel like that\'s one of the top reasons people are...OK...with giving up. <b>It\'s not ok.</b> You\'re only letting yourself down. It\'s so easy to fall prey to the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/the-inconvenience-factor-accepting.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"I Don\'t Feel Like It\" Syndrome</a> when you\'re on your own...easy for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/why-workouts-fail-1-napoleon-complex.html\" target=\"_blank\">The Napoleon Complex</a> to overtake you...to just plain <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/conquer-the-truth-about-motivation.html\" target=\"_blank\">lose motivation</a>!<br /><br /><b>SUPPORT!</b><br /><b>I can\'t TELL YOU </b>how great it is to have someone there reaching milestones with you, achieving successes with you...just generally sharing in the experience. It was great to get through a workout, look at Megan 5 feet away, and high five her after we finished a workout. The look we gave each other after finishing the last workout of week 1 was of such accomplishment, relief, and joy...in that moment we knew we could do it - if you can get through the first week you can get through it all...<b>and we had done it! </b>Sharing that with her was great! Working with a partner I was able to <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/09/lose-your-limits.html\" target=\"_blank\">lose my limits</a> and achieve new heights I never would\'ve dreamed of before...I\'m running a half marathon in a week and a half for crying out loud!<br /><br />Likewise, it\'s great to be able to share in your struggles and work through it together. We were both practically dying on the floor together during some of the more intense days during some of the programs we did...but we looked at each other, reaffirmed we could do it, and kept going. You keep going for yourself, you keep going for them...whether it\'s because you want to succeed for them or because you want to challenge them to keep up...it\'s because <b>they\'re there</b>. <b>They\'re doing it too. </b>That other person can make the difference. They can also help to shield you from outside influences too...help keep you strong. When you\'re in it with someone else, they can help defend against the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/haters.html\" target=\"_blank\">Haters</a>. <br /><br /><b>Accountability</b><br />If you\'re doing your workouts with someone else...they\'re gonna know if you didn\'t do it. Maybe because you work out together, maybe because you check in with each other...but <b>they\'ll know</b>. Whether they give you crap for not doing it or whether you feel guilty all on your own...having that other person can keep you honest and get you to do it on a day you\'d otherwise say <i>screw it</i>. Knowing that other person is tracking their progress and will be showing you their before/afters can also encourage you to work just a little bit harder throughout the course of the program instead of taking it easy on yourself. Besides...if you\'re gonna commit, <b>why not go whole-hog?</b><br /><br /><b>THIS IS NOT A NEW IDEA</b><br /><br />Working out with others is by no means a new idea...workout classes, CrossFit gyms, etc...there are countless people, groups, and organizations that use and encourage the buddy system or the group mentality. Why? <b>Because it works</b>. Having a community of people all in it together makes it work so much better.<br /><b> </b><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KuZMwagaiGg/UlgGym6nN4I/AAAAAAAAB4E/UfZQ_RrjzXI/s1600/BBAltSigB.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KuZMwagaiGg/UlgGym6nN4I/AAAAAAAAB4E/UfZQ_RrjzXI/s1600/BBAltSigB.jpg\" /></a></div><b> </b><br /><b> </b><br /><b>What About That \"Challenge Group\" You Mentioned?</b><br /><br />Many<b> </b>BeachBody Coaches out there (probably all, really) run \"Challenge Groups\". Each coach, I\'m sure, does it differently. The idea, no matter how, specifically, they do it, is that a group of people (maybe 5, 10, 20...depends on the coach) all do the same program starting on the same day. They check in on a special Facebook group (or through some other method, again, depending on the coach) and talk about their progress. People in the group will talk about their struggles and successes, share in their accomplishments and difficulties, and seek advice, guidance, and motivation from the rest of the group and their coach. The coach is usually always there to actively guide and encourage the group members and provides tools for success to make sure each individual can achieve their fitness goals. Some coaches run their group for the full duration of the program, and some run it for a month or two. The idea is to help make sure, again, that each individual has the support, encouragement, and tools necessary to achieve success.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DvAPRqiRNpA/Ul8K0foMflI/AAAAAAAAB5A/WxHDvU36Jlk/s1600/challengegroup.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DvAPRqiRNpA/Ul8K0foMflI/AAAAAAAAB5A/WxHDvU36Jlk/s400/challengegroup.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><br />I am running a P90X Challenge Group. My group will be pushing play for Day 1 on Monday, October 28th. I\'ll be starting to put out information and guidance for them this weekend, getting them ready and preparing them for the challenge to come. If you are interested, please don\'t hesitate to reach out to me at <a href=\"mailto:Darrell@SoTHISIsFitness.com\">Darrell@SoTHISIsFitness.com</a>, make an account on <a href=\"http://www.teambeachbody.com/\">www.TeamBeachBody.com</a> (identify me as your coach - coach id 301487 or screenname SoTHISIsFitness - I\'ll find you), or request to join the <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/group/SoTHISIsFitness\" target=\"_blank\">\"So Fit\" Family facebook group</a>. You&nbsp; can get the program through me at www.BeachBodyCoach.com/SoTHISIsFitness . <b>If you\'re interested, you likely need to order by Friday or Saturday in order to have it in-hand in time. </b><br /><br />I\'m SO excited to have the opportunity to help people achieve their goals and finally attain success. This is the first program I did...it\'s what started me on the path to  where I am now! It\'s great to see that it\'ll also be the first program like  this for a number of people who have already committed to the Challenge  Group. I\'d love to help you too! That\'s the whole point of this blog. <br /><br /><b>So why do it alone?</b><br /><br />I\'m sure there\'s <b>someone </b>you know that also wants to make a change. <b>Someone </b>else who\'s having the same thoughts go through their head that are going through yours. Try feeling it out among those you know and see if someone wants to join you. Maybe you\'d rather go through a challenge group or online support community (like the <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/group/SoTHISIsFitness\" target=\"_blank\">So Fit Family</a>) to find your encouragement and motivation. Whatever the case, know that <b>you don\'t have to do it alone. </b>It\'s always better together. Happy Hump Day!','It\'s Always Better Together','','inherit','closed','closed','','93-revision-v1','','','2017-01-15 08:05:24','2017-01-15 13:05:24','',93,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/01/93-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(689,1,'2017-01-15 08:05:14','2017-01-15 13:05:14','Once again, I thought long and hard about how to approach this topic, but the simplest way to say it is - going through a health &amp; fitness journey alone <b>sucks</b> and often <b>just doesn\'t work</b>. For so many years I tried and failed to do it on my own. The desire was there, and I did use the word \"tried\"...<br /><br />Many, maybe even most people out there just can\'t do it alone, and if you\'re one of those people<b>...I get it. </b>I\'m not gonna say it\'s not your fault because, frankly, I don\'t think there necessarily <i>is </i>anyone at fault...it\'s just <b>freaking hard </b>to go it alone. In the last week I have really embraced, openly, the \"group effort\". I became a BeachBody Coach and immediately set out to start a P90X Challenge Group to help people make a change, stay with it, and <b>succeed</b> (more on that later). Today, on Hump Day no less, I want to talk about how to get over the hump of sticking with your health &amp; fitness decision by not having to go it alone. You might think twice about your impending solo act.<br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dz2l_d_zAoU/UlQOwn7vPSI/AAAAAAAAB3U/0skgMkyckXk/s1600/IMG_20131005_093735_948.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dz2l_d_zAoU/UlQOwn7vPSI/AAAAAAAAB3U/0skgMkyckXk/s400/IMG_20131005_093735_948.jpg\" width=\"225\" /></a></div>I\'ll come right out and say it - <b>going it alone sucks.</b> Some people out there have the drive and motivation needed to make change happen without anyone else there to push them, encourage them, and do it with them. Looking back,<b> I was not one of them. </b>I recognize that. I had my fiancee Megan there with me from <b>before </b>Day 1. When the decision was made to start...we decided it <b>together</b>. I tried for years to do it alone, and it never stuck. Without anyone there to help motivate me...it was so easy to just say \"nah...not today\" or \"<i>God Almighty</i> this is too hard...I\'m out\".<br /><br /><b>Nah, I\'m Totally Capable, I Can Do This!</b><br /><br />Ok, that\'s great! There <b>are</b> people out there who can get it done on their own. People who are SO motivated...SO driven, that they could not only complete a fitness program on their own...they could climb Mt. Freaking Everest on their own. I <i>wish </i>I was one of those guys. I mean, I probably am NOW, but then again, NOW I\'m fit, healthy, and I <b>enjoy </b>this stuff. I\'m talking last August, when I was 300 lbs and hadn\'t started this whole thing yet. <i>That guy </i>wishes he was driven enough to do it alone. If you\'re one of those people, I encourage you to <b>go for it</b> and make it happen. <b>You </b>are the kind of person who helps motivate others towards their successes. <br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Why Should I Have Others?</b></span><br /><br /><b>No Easy Outs</b><br />I have found, over the course of the years, that <b>not </b>having someone else doing it with you and committed to it...there are a lot of easy outs. For one, <b>nobody is there to see you quit</b>. It\'s really easy to quit when you don\'t have anyone to answer to...nobody to witness it. It\'s like it never happened! I feel like that\'s one of the top reasons people are...OK...with giving up. <b>It\'s not ok.</b> You\'re only letting yourself down. It\'s so easy to fall prey to the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/the-inconvenience-factor-accepting.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"I Don\'t Feel Like It\" Syndrome</a> when you\'re on your own...easy for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/why-workouts-fail-1-napoleon-complex.html\" target=\"_blank\">The Napoleon Complex</a> to overtake you...to just plain <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/conquer-the-truth-about-motivation.html\" target=\"_blank\">lose motivation</a>!<br /><br /><b>SUPPORT!</b><br /><b>I can\'t TELL YOU </b>how great it is to have someone there reaching milestones with you, achieving successes with you...just generally sharing in the experience. It was great to get through a workout, look at Megan 5 feet away, and high five her after we finished a workout. The look we gave each other after finishing the last workout of week 1 was of such accomplishment, relief, and joy...in that moment we knew we could do it - if you can get through the first week you can get through it all...<b>and we had done it! </b>Sharing that with her was great! Working with a partner I was able to <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/09/lose-your-limits.html\" target=\"_blank\">lose my limits</a> and achieve new heights I never would\'ve dreamed of before...I\'m running a half marathon in a week and a half for crying out loud!<br /><br />Likewise, it\'s great to be able to share in your struggles and work through it together. We were both practically dying on the floor together during some of the more intense days during some of the programs we did...but we looked at each other, reaffirmed we could do it, and kept going. You keep going for yourself, you keep going for them...whether it\'s because you want to succeed for them or because you want to challenge them to keep up...it\'s because <b>they\'re there</b>. <b>They\'re doing it too. </b>That other person can make the difference. They can also help to shield you from outside influences too...help keep you strong. When you\'re in it with someone else, they can help defend against the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/haters.html\" target=\"_blank\">Haters</a>. <br /><br /><b>Accountability</b><br />If you\'re doing your workouts with someone else...they\'re gonna know if you didn\'t do it. Maybe because you work out together, maybe because you check in with each other...but <b>they\'ll know</b>. Whether they give you crap for not doing it or whether you feel guilty all on your own...having that other person can keep you honest and get you to do it on a day you\'d otherwise say <i>screw it</i>. Knowing that other person is tracking their progress and will be showing you their before/afters can also encourage you to work just a little bit harder throughout the course of the program instead of taking it easy on yourself. Besides...if you\'re gonna commit, <b>why not go whole-hog?</b><br /><br /><b>THIS IS NOT A NEW IDEA</b><br /><br />Working out with others is by no means a new idea...workout classes, CrossFit gyms, etc...there are countless people, groups, and organizations that use and encourage the buddy system or the group mentality. Why? <b>Because it works</b>. Having a community of people all in it together makes it work so much better.<br /><b> </b><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KuZMwagaiGg/UlgGym6nN4I/AAAAAAAAB4E/UfZQ_RrjzXI/s1600/BBAltSigB.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KuZMwagaiGg/UlgGym6nN4I/AAAAAAAAB4E/UfZQ_RrjzXI/s1600/BBAltSigB.jpg\" /></a></div><b> </b><br /><b> </b><br /><b>What About That \"Challenge Group\" You Mentioned?</b><br /><br />Many<b> </b>BeachBody Coaches out there (probably all, really) run \"Challenge Groups\". Each coach, I\'m sure, does it differently. The idea, no matter how, specifically, they do it, is that a group of people (maybe 5, 10, 20...depends on the coach) all do the same program starting on the same day. They check in on a special Facebook group (or through some other method, again, depending on the coach) and talk about their progress. People in the group will talk about their struggles and successes, share in their accomplishments and difficulties, and seek advice, guidance, and motivation from the rest of the group and their coach. The coach is usually always there to actively guide and encourage the group members and provides tools for success to make sure each individual can achieve their fitness goals. Some coaches run their group for the full duration of the program, and some run it for a month or two. The idea is to help make sure, again, that each individual has the support, encouragement, and tools necessary to achieve success.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DvAPRqiRNpA/Ul8K0foMflI/AAAAAAAAB5A/WxHDvU36Jlk/s1600/challengegroup.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DvAPRqiRNpA/Ul8K0foMflI/AAAAAAAAB5A/WxHDvU36Jlk/s400/challengegroup.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><br />I am running a P90X Challenge Group. My group will be pushing play for Day 1 on Monday, October 28th. I\'ll be starting to put out information and guidance for them this weekend, getting them ready and preparing them for the challenge to come. If you are interested, please don\'t hesitate to reach out to me at <a href=\"mailto:Darrell@SoTHISIsFitness.com\">Darrell@SoTHISIsFitness.com</a>, make an account on <a href=\"http://www.teambeachbody.com/\">www.TeamBeachBody.com</a> (identify me as your coach - coach id 301487 or screenname SoTHISIsFitness - I\'ll find you), or request to join the <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/group/SoTHISIsFitness\" target=\"_blank\">\"So Fit\" Family facebook group</a>. You&nbsp; can get the program through me at <a href=\"http://www.beachbodycoach.com/SoTHISIsFitness\">www.BeachBodyCoach.com/SoTHISIsFitness</a> . <b>If you\'re interested, you likely need to order by Friday or Saturday in order to have it in-hand in time. </b><br /><br />I\'m SO excited to have the opportunity to help people achieve their goals and finally attain success. This is the first program I did...it\'s what started me on the path to  where I am now! It\'s great to see that it\'ll also be the first program like  this for a number of people who have already committed to the Challenge  Group. I\'d love to help you too! That\'s the whole point of this blog. <br /><br /><b>So why do it alone?</b><br /><br />I\'m sure there\'s <b>someone </b>you know that also wants to make a change. <b>Someone </b>else who\'s having the same thoughts go through their head that are going through yours. Try feeling it out among those you know and see if someone wants to join you. Maybe you\'d rather go through a challenge group or online support community (like the <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/group/SoTHISIsFitness\" target=\"_blank\">So Fit Family</a>) to find your encouragement and motivation. Whatever the case, know that <b>you don\'t have to do it alone. </b>It\'s always better together. Happy Hump Day!','It\'s Always Better Together','','inherit','closed','closed','','93-revision-v1','','','2017-01-15 08:05:14','2017-01-15 13:05:14','',93,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/01/93-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(94,1,'2013-10-16 14:06:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','In the course of our fitness journeys, no matter how active you are, how crazy you are, or how lightly you\'re taking it...eventually, injuries can happen. They can happen to even the most careful person, and can range anywhere from the life-threateningly serious to the most harmless strain or stubbed toe. No matter the case, every injury should be taken care of properly and given appropriate attention. If you ignore a small, \"harmless\" injury it can grow to become a big problem at the worst moment.<br /><br />So, how do I identify an injury? How do I know something\'s wrong? How do I take care of it?','Injuries - Deal With It','','draft','open','open','','','','','2013-10-16 14:06:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=94',0,'post','',0),(95,1,'2013-10-08 14:25:00','2013-10-08 18:25:00','<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-40_cr0Pt8ek/UlQLgLshfBI/AAAAAAAAB24/_YrdgdVG6CM/s1600/canalrunbib.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-40_cr0Pt8ek/UlQLgLshfBI/AAAAAAAAB24/_YrdgdVG6CM/s400/canalrunbib.jpg\" height=\"290\" width=\"400\" /></a></div>Another race run, more lessons learned. Honestly, every time I go out there and run a race I learn more about myself, my body, and what to/not to do. If I can save someone having to learn some of this stuff the hard way,  “So THIS Is Fitness…” has done its job. Saturday was the Canal Run For The Troops 10K and the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/canal-run-burpee-challenge.html\" target=\"_blank\">Burpee Challenge</a> that I issued (video is in this article!) - let\'s get right down to it and go over how it went, what I definitely did wrong to screw myself, and what I\'m going to do next time to save myself a LOT of pain and frustration.<br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dvN0PKTI490/UlQMrGRQ-pI/AAAAAAAAB3E/9wBgJk6vR0w/s1600/IMG_20131005_091115_828.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dvN0PKTI490/UlQMrGRQ-pI/AAAAAAAAB3E/9wBgJk6vR0w/s400/IMG_20131005_091115_828.jpg\" height=\"225\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><br />SO - <a href=\"http://www.canalrun4thetroops.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Canal Run For The Troops 10K</a>...that was FUN! The course was nice - a flat course along the Cape Cod Canal. The weather started out kind of so-so, but it ended up getting sunny and being a nice day! For those who missed it in previous articles, the event was put on by <a href=\"http://www.capecod4thetroops.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Cape Cod Cares 4 The Troops</a> - and everyone\'s entry fee went to help pay for postage for care packages for our troops overseas. Considering my \"little\" cousin Joshua is out there putting his life on the line, I can appreciate what they\'re doing here.<br /><br /><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dz2l_d_zAoU/UlQOwn7vPSI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/mC8-NQfqxlE/s1600/IMG_20131005_093735_948.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dz2l_d_zAoU/UlQOwn7vPSI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/mC8-NQfqxlE/s400/IMG_20131005_093735_948.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"225\" /></a>This race was special for a couple of reasons as well - for one, it was the day after my 25th birthday, and as soon as it was over I went home and enjoyed the company of some family, friends, and Delta Chi brothers I haven\'t gotten to see in a long time. On top of that...<b>MEGAN RAN WITH ME!</b> And by \"ran with me\" I mean she was running the race. We laugh about it, but I do have a tendency to zoom away. It\'s nice, though, because I get to see her cross the finish (she\'s really not all that far behind me, and I\'m always damn proud of her).<br /><br /><br />As far as results - I came in at 55:51 (RunKeeper tells me I was doing 8:46 min/mile). I was 37th out of 89 10K runners and 3rd of 4 in my age group (2nd of 4 in my age group was a full minute/mile faster - I don\'t feel bad about that). I have to say...overall I think I could\'ve done better. I\'m a little disappointed because I have made better time in my own neighborhood with much more hill. I know I did a number of things wrong that, in the end, screwed me. <b>I broke my own rules!</b> I find that ironic considering <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/race-beginner-dos-donts.html\" target=\"_blank\">I posted an article about race beginner do\'s and don\'t\'s</a> right before I broke exactly those rules. <br /><br /><b>SO - </b>How did I screw up?<br /><br />For one, <b>I didn\'t run at all </b>during the week leading up to the race. I did a 10 mile run on sunday and the next run I did was the 10K on Saturday. <b>Big Mistake</b>. I should\'ve gone for a couple, stayed loose, and kept my body ready.<br /><br />What else? <b>I didn\'t eat enough the day/night before</b>. My body wasn\'t fueled up enough - no energy stores! When I was pushing and demanding my body to give more, there wasn\'t much gas in the tank to do it with!<br /><br /><b>I didn\'t hydrate enough the day before. </b>I keep talking about how important hydrating is and I keep falling short when it counts the most. Before the Falmouth Road Race I hydrated the crap out of myself - I had to run to the restroom constantly. This time? Not so much.<br /><br /><b>I didn\'t re-fuel mid-race.</b> I got my body used to getting some fuel around mile 3 or 4 when I\'m pushing hard on a 6+ mile run. A Gu gel or an energy block or something. I didn\'t do that this time. That was a big mistake - looking at my mile splits and remembering how I felt...those last three miles suffered greatly. I was working much harder and achieving a slower time. My first mile felt effortless and I had an 8:04/mi split...my last mile I felt like I was pushing to the limits and I got 8:38/mi split...<br /><br /><b>SO - </b>what did I learn? <b>Follow my own advice </b>and <b>don\'t get lazy pre-race</b>. You have to maintain your body and keep it prepped and ready. If you don\'t, your performance will suffer. I DID have fun, don\'t get me wrong...I\'m just a little disappointed because I REALLY wanted to break 50 minutes. That\'s ok...I might be able to do it next Sunday in the Firefighter\'s Memorial 10K. <br /><br /><b>What About The Burpee Challenge?!</b><br />In order to kick-start fundraising for The V Foundation I issued a challenge - for every $5 donated by the time I finished the race I would do one burpee (<a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/canal-run-burpee-challenge.html\" target=\"_blank\">see the original challenge here</a>). By the time I finished, $135 had been donated, equaling 26 burpees. I decided since it was ONLY 26...I would do full rather than half burpees. <b>I regret this choice. </b>You can\'t see it in the video, but Megan shook her head at me when I said I was doing fulls...I didn\'t get why then, but I do now. As you watch be aware that - <b>yes, I know - my form starts to suck around #16</b>. That\'s what I get for doing 26 full burpees after killing myself on a 10K.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" src=\"//www.youtube.com/embed/F0_IANHAI1U?rel=0\" width=\"560\"></iframe><br /><br />And after that nonsense I went home and did a T25 double workout - Lower Focus then Ab Intervals. <b>YIKES!</b><br /><br /><b>There is still time to donate! </b>Please check out the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/09/do-it-for-the-v.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Do It For The V\"</a> article to read more about what The V Foundation is and why I\'m fundraising. If you\'d like to make a contribution, please visit my page at <a href=\"http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SoTHISIsFitness/ccm13\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SoTHISIsFitness/ccm13</a><b>. I thank you in advance for your contribution!</b><br /><br /><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NuhQUlHwMDs/UlQVqW9rn5I/AAAAAAAAB3o/qCPEK39CaAE/s1600/sponsorsbackcanal.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NuhQUlHwMDs/UlQVqW9rn5I/AAAAAAAAB3o/qCPEK39CaAE/s320/sponsorsbackcanal.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"195\" /></a>I\'d like to thank my sponsors on this race for helping make it possible! <a href=\"http://moceancapecod.com/\" target=\"_blank\">MOCEAN Cape Cod </a>was the <a href=\"http://www.bodyworkcapecod.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bodywork Health &amp; Wellness</a>, <a href=\"http://www.anytimefitness.com/gyms/2694/falmouth-ma-02540\" target=\"_blank\">Anytime Fitness (Falmouth/Mashpee)</a> and <a href=\"http://www.innerglowyogacapecod.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Innerglow Yoga</a> for their help and support! Please visit the Sponsors page to check them out and the rest of my sponsors as well!<br /><br />Don\'t forget to check out the <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook page</a> and follow the <a href=\"https://twitter.com/SnuffyDX\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter</a> for more updates (only full articles go here - there\'s lots more available)!<br />title sponsors - they got me into this race in the first place! I\'d also like to thank <br /><br />Just remember - if I can do this...<b>anyone can!</b>','Canal Run 10K/Burpee Recap: Lessons Learned','','publish','open','open','','canal-run-10kburpee-recap-lessons-learned','','','2017-01-18 07:46:34','2017-01-18 12:46:34','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=95',0,'post','',0),(695,1,'2017-01-15 08:05:39','2017-01-15 13:05:39','<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-40_cr0Pt8ek/UlQLgLshfBI/AAAAAAAAB24/_YrdgdVG6CM/s1600/canalrunbib.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-40_cr0Pt8ek/UlQLgLshfBI/AAAAAAAAB24/_YrdgdVG6CM/s400/canalrunbib.jpg\" height=\"290\" width=\"400\" /></a></div>Another race run, more lessons learned. Honestly, every time I go out there and run a race I learn more about myself, my body, and what to/not to do. If I can save someone having to learn some of this stuff the hard way,  “So THIS Is Fitness…” has done its job. Saturday was the Canal Run For The Troops 10K and the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/canal-run-burpee-challenge.html\" target=\"_blank\">Burpee Challenge</a> that I issued (video is in this article!) - let\'s get right down to it and go over how it went, what I definitely did wrong to screw myself, and what I\'m going to do next time to save myself a LOT of pain and frustration.<br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dvN0PKTI490/UlQMrGRQ-pI/AAAAAAAAB3E/9wBgJk6vR0w/s1600/IMG_20131005_091115_828.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dvN0PKTI490/UlQMrGRQ-pI/AAAAAAAAB3E/9wBgJk6vR0w/s400/IMG_20131005_091115_828.jpg\" height=\"225\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><br />SO - <a href=\"http://www.canalrun4thetroops.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Canal Run For The Troops 10K</a>...that was FUN! The course was nice - a flat course along the Cape Cod Canal. The weather started out kind of so-so, but it ended up getting sunny and being a nice day! For those who missed it in previous articles, the event was put on by <a href=\"http://www.capecod4thetroops.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Cape Cod Cares 4 The Troops</a> - and everyone\'s entry fee went to help pay for postage for care packages for our troops overseas. Considering my \"little\" cousin Joshua is out there putting his life on the line, I can appreciate what they\'re doing here.<br /><br /><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dz2l_d_zAoU/UlQOwn7vPSI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/mC8-NQfqxlE/s1600/IMG_20131005_093735_948.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dz2l_d_zAoU/UlQOwn7vPSI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/mC8-NQfqxlE/s400/IMG_20131005_093735_948.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"225\" /></a>This race was special for a couple of reasons as well - for one, it was the day after my 25th birthday, and as soon as it was over I went home and enjoyed the company of some family, friends, and Delta Chi brothers I haven\'t gotten to see in a long time. On top of that...<b>MEGAN RAN WITH ME!</b> And by \"ran with me\" I mean she was running the race. We laugh about it, but I do have a tendency to zoom away. It\'s nice, though, because I get to see her cross the finish (she\'s really not all that far behind me, and I\'m always damn proud of her).<br /><br /><br />As far as results - I came in at 55:51 (RunKeeper tells me I was doing 8:46 min/mile). I was 37th out of 89 10K runners and 3rd of 4 in my age group (2nd of 4 in my age group was a full minute/mile faster - I don\'t feel bad about that). I have to say...overall I think I could\'ve done better. I\'m a little disappointed because I have made better time in my own neighborhood with much more hill. I know I did a number of things wrong that, in the end, screwed me. <b>I broke my own rules!</b> I find that ironic considering <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/race-beginner-dos-donts.html\" target=\"_blank\">I posted an article about race beginner do\'s and don\'t\'s</a> right before I broke exactly those rules. <br /><br /><b>SO - </b>How did I screw up?<br /><br />For one, <b>I didn\'t run at all </b>during the week leading up to the race. I did a 10 mile run on sunday and the next run I did was the 10K on Saturday. <b>Big Mistake</b>. I should\'ve gone for a couple, stayed loose, and kept my body ready.<br /><br />What else? <b>I didn\'t eat enough the day/night before</b>. My body wasn\'t fueled up enough - no energy stores! When I was pushing and demanding my body to give more, there wasn\'t much gas in the tank to do it with!<br /><br /><b>I didn\'t hydrate enough the day before. </b>I keep talking about how important hydrating is and I keep falling short when it counts the most. Before the Falmouth Road Race I hydrated the crap out of myself - I had to run to the restroom constantly. This time? Not so much.<br /><br /><b>I didn\'t re-fuel mid-race.</b> I got my body used to getting some fuel around mile 3 or 4 when I\'m pushing hard on a 6+ mile run. A Gu gel or an energy block or something. I didn\'t do that this time. That was a big mistake - looking at my mile splits and remembering how I felt...those last three miles suffered greatly. I was working much harder and achieving a slower time. My first mile felt effortless and I had an 8:04/mi split...my last mile I felt like I was pushing to the limits and I got 8:38/mi split...<br /><br /><b>SO - </b>what did I learn? <b>Follow my own advice </b>and <b>don\'t get lazy pre-race</b>. You have to maintain your body and keep it prepped and ready. If you don\'t, your performance will suffer. I DID have fun, don\'t get me wrong...I\'m just a little disappointed because I REALLY wanted to break 50 minutes. That\'s ok...I might be able to do it next Sunday in the Firefighter\'s Memorial 10K. <br /><br /><b>What About The Burpee Challenge?!</b><br />In order to kick-start fundraising for The V Foundation I issued a challenge - for every $5 donated by the time I finished the race I would do one burpee (<a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/canal-run-burpee-challenge.html\" target=\"_blank\">see the original challenge here</a>). By the time I finished, $135 had been donated, equaling 26 burpees. I decided since it was ONLY 26...I would do full rather than half burpees. <b>I regret this choice. </b>You can\'t see it in the video, but Megan shook her head at me when I said I was doing fulls...I didn\'t get why then, but I do now. As you watch be aware that - <b>yes, I know - my form starts to suck around #16</b>. That\'s what I get for doing 26 full burpees after killing myself on a 10K.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" src=\"//www.youtube.com/embed/F0_IANHAI1U?rel=0\" width=\"560\"></iframe><br /><br />And after that nonsense I went home and did a T25 double workout - Lower Focus then Ab Intervals. <b>YIKES!</b><br /><br /><b>There is still time to donate! </b>Please check out the <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/09/do-it-for-v.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Do It For The V\"</a> article to read more about what The V Foundation is and why I\'m fundraising. If you\'d like to make a contribution, please visit my page at <a href=\"http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SoTHISIsFitness/ccm13\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SoTHISIsFitness/ccm13</a><b>. I thank you in advance for your contribution!</b><br /><br /><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NuhQUlHwMDs/UlQVqW9rn5I/AAAAAAAAB3o/qCPEK39CaAE/s1600/sponsorsbackcanal.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NuhQUlHwMDs/UlQVqW9rn5I/AAAAAAAAB3o/qCPEK39CaAE/s320/sponsorsbackcanal.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"195\" /></a>I\'d like to thank my sponsors on this race for helping make it possible! <a href=\"http://moceancapecod.com/\" target=\"_blank\">MOCEAN Cape Cod </a>was the <a href=\"http://www.bodyworkcapecod.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bodywork Health &amp; Wellness</a>, <a href=\"http://www.anytimefitness.com/gyms/2694/falmouth-ma-02540\" target=\"_blank\">Anytime Fitness (Falmouth/Mashpee)</a> and <a href=\"http://www.innerglowyogacapecod.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Innerglow Yoga</a> for their help and support! Please visit the Sponsors page to check them out and the rest of my sponsors as well!<br /><br />Don\'t forget to check out the <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook page</a> and follow the <a href=\"https://twitter.com/SnuffyDX\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter</a> for more updates (only full articles go here - there\'s lots more available)!<br />title sponsors - they got me into this race in the first place! I\'d also like to thank <br /><br />Just remember - if I can do this...<b>anyone can!</b>','Canal Run 10K/Burpee Recap: Lessons Learned','','inherit','closed','closed','','95-revision-v1','','','2017-01-15 08:05:39','2017-01-15 13:05:39','',95,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/01/95-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(96,1,'2013-10-04 03:53:00','2013-10-04 07:53:00','OK - this is short and sweet. I\'m gonna try to up the ante and get some donations in for The V Foundation for Cancer Research. After crossing the finish line I will do one half-burpee for every $10 donated to The V Foundation on my online fundraising page from now until 10 AM Saturday 10/5/13. See the video below if you don\'t know what a burpee or half-burpee is. I will count the $45 already donated, so I\'m starting with 4 burpees. Let\'s make this happen!<br /><br />We\'ll be getting video proof which I\'ll post by Monday.<br /><br />Wanna see me do burpees after running a 10K? Visit <a href=\"http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SoTHISIsFitness/ccm13\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SoTHISIsFitness/ccm13 </a><br /><br /><iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"//www.youtube.com/embed/3ZKQ9dFsh4w?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />If $100 is donated, 10 burpees, if $1,000 is donated...100 burpees. <br /><br /><b>Make me regret this. </b>','Canal Run Burpee Challenge','','publish','open','open','','canal-run-burpee-challenge','','','2017-01-08 11:09:14','2017-01-08 16:09:14','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=96',0,'post','',0),(97,1,'2013-10-02 15:55:00','2013-10-02 19:55:00','A friend (who is probably reading this!) posted on Facebook that she had signed up for her first 10K. My first thought was \"AWESOME! Good for you!\" and I immediately sent her a message to start talking about it. As we talked a little, I reflected on my first 10K and how much I learned from it - it dawned on me that not only could I have benefited <b>immensely </b>from knowing then what I know now, but others who are getting ready for their first race could benefit too! My first 5K and 10K both taught me a lot, and they are very different kinds of races! <br /><br /><b>SO, </b>in the spirit of Hump Day, let\'s talk about some do\'s and don\'t\'s to help you get over the hump of your first race(s)!<br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br />When I started running this past March, I dove right in. Megan and I talked about it and figured hey, we got through P90X, we did Insanity...why couldn\'t we run? We went...and I went farther than I probably should have...and finished having gone <b>3.2 miles</b>. I\'m not exaggerating when I say I had <b>never </b>\"gone for a run\" before that. I figured if I could do that, I could do a real 5K race - same distance!<br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>So Where Do I Start?</b></span><br /><b>&nbsp;</b> <br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0qLX-CaSKJk/UkwnWfqQMQI/AAAAAAAAB0A/D2gUoWoaEg4/s1600/Aug2_Run4Ke_photo.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"200\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0qLX-CaSKJk/UkwnWfqQMQI/AAAAAAAAB0A/D2gUoWoaEg4/s400/Aug2_Run4Ke_photo.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><b>Do A 5K!</b><br /><b>&nbsp;</b><br /><b>I will be so bold as to say </b>anyone can run a 5K. If you can run, you can do a 5K. Either it\'s a challenge and you push yourself to finish, or it\'s a piece of cake and you push yourself to break your best time. Either way, <b>you can do it! </b>If it\'s going to be more on the \"I\'ve never run before\" / beginner side of things, there are LOTS of training schedules out there to get you ready to run that 3.1 miles. I recommend using Runkeeper (if you have a smartphone / device that can use the app) - you can either track your runs doing your own thing or you can choose a training plan developed to help you be your best! <br /><br /><b>Did the 5K? How about a 10K?!</b><br /><br />If you\'ve overcome the challenge of your first 5K and feel like you can go farther, why not find and register for a 10K? A 10K is 6.2 miles - twice as long as a 5K. It might not seem like that much of a difference, but running a race is a whole different animal after the first 3 or 4 miles. A 10K can give you new challenges to overcome, including pacing yourself,&nbsp;<b> </b>staying hydrated and fueled, dealing with hills and inclines, and much more. If you have successfully completed a 5K I <b>highly </b>recommend finding a 10K to do.<br /><br /><b>What about those do\'s and don\'t\'s?</b><br /><b>&nbsp;</b><br />I mentioned I learned a lot from the first couple of races I ran - I have some hot tips that I <b>really </b>wish I had known going into my first 5K and 10K. Some of them might seem obvious to you, but I didn\'t realize the importance of some of them until it was too late.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EyG-EtXTV7Q/UkwwMl-zNwI/AAAAAAAAB0Y/XxDH6qbPC6g/s1600/IMG_20131002_103549.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EyG-EtXTV7Q/UkwwMl-zNwI/AAAAAAAAB0Y/XxDH6qbPC6g/s400/IMG_20131002_103549.jpg\" width=\"180\" /></a><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Rule #1 - HYDRATE!</b></span><br /><br /><b>I CANNOT stress this one enough!</b> Hydration (drinking water) is INCREDIBLY important. Not properly hydrating before and during a race can leave you cramped, panting, and <br />struggling through what should have been a piece of cake. Properly hydrating is SO important I had been considering writing an article entirely dedicated to it, but even if I do follow through with that, it needs to be mentioned here. The average person should be drinking 8 glasses of water a day. I know we\'ve been beat over the head with that our whole lives...prior to this whole fitness thing I never really understood <b>just </b>how important it really was.<br /><br /><b>How do I know if I\'m getting dehydrated?</b><br /><b>&nbsp;</b> <br />Your body is mostly made up of water - as you sweat that water leaves your body. When enough water leaves your body, you start feeling thirsty and your mouth might get dry. As you get more dehydrated, you might get a headache (I do), you\'ll eventually get cramps, and you might get nauseous. If you get dehydrated enough you can pass out and have a real medical issue.<br /><br />Bear with me here. One of the easiest ways to tell how hydrated you are at any given time is the color of your urine. Think about it - urine is your body\'s way to get rid of what it doesn\'t need - the water component of it is more or less a vehicle to get rid of the waste. If you\'re dehydrated, there\'s less fluid in your body. If your body has less fluid to spare, it\'s going to get rid of that same amount of waste using less water, so it\'s going to be more concentrated and thus, a darker/more saturated color. If your body is well-hydrated, there\'s a lot of fluid in there to spare and your body will use more fluid to flush out the waste - thus less concentrated and a lighter color. The clearer the urine, the more hydrated you are. <br /><br /><b>So how do I stay hydrated?</b><br /><br /><b>Easy - DRINK WATER!</b>&nbsp;<b> </b>It\'s that simple and that difficult. I drink on average about 20 glasses of water a day. That green water bottle? It\'s a 1 litre Camelbak Eddy. I drink about 4 or 5 of those a day. Yeah. Water is just about all I drink. I used to drink almost that much diet soda each day, but then again I was also 300 lbs. <b>If you find drinking that much water is a challenge </b>try easing yourself into it with flavor. Add fresh citrus fruit to your water - lemon, lime, orange...not only does it add some flavor to your water but you get some vitamins out of it! Eventually you can use less and less fruit until you can just drink regular water! The calories from the fruit you squeeze into your water is going to end up being negligible, so go for it!<br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><br /></span><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Rule #2 - Eat Breakfast!</b></span><br /><br />Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and race day is no exception. The longer the race, the more important it is to eat something before the run. Race-day nutrition can be the difference between a strong run with sustained energy or huffing, puffing, and crapping out. There\'s lots of products out there designed to help you before and during your run like Gu gels, sport beans, chomps, blocs, etc. Find what works for you and stick with it! They\'re all made from fast-absorbing and easy to break down carbs/sugars to give your body the juice it needs to get through the race. I like to start my race-day morning with a combination of those and some fruit. To each his own.<br /><b> </b><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S8T25BkizJ4/Ukw9jfMar6I/AAAAAAAAB04/5Oio-1xj_S4/s1600/2.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"225\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S8T25BkizJ4/Ukw9jfMar6I/AAAAAAAAB04/5Oio-1xj_S4/s400/2.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Rule #3 - Test your playlist before the race</b></span><br /><br /><b>This one only applies if you listen to music during your runs</b>.  I do. You can see <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/the-music-while-running-controversy.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"The Music While Running Controversy\"</a> to see exactly  how I feel about the topic. If you DO listen to music while you run, be  sure to test out your playlist on a run before the actual race. The  wrong music can make you go too fast or too slow, mess up your pace  mid-stride, and just all around lead you to a bad time. Find what works  and stick with it - always best to test it out. <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/running-playlist\" target=\"_blank\">Check out my running playlist (tested) here.</a><br /><b> </b><br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Rule #4 - TRAIN!</b></span><br /><br /><b><b>Training is about learning your pace, testing your limits, and improving both.</b> </b>Do shorter runs to see what kind of pace you can reach, how fast you  can go, and what your stride is. Do longer runs to see if you can maintain that pace over a longer distance. Do some REALLY long runs once a week to push your limits, increase your stamina / endurance, and ultimately be able to run farther. Training is a learning experience, and it IS very important. Try and fail. Experiment. Do hills some days and flat courses other days. Map it out ahead of time - know where you\'re going and when to turn around and go home. Give yourself options in case you decide to run a longer or shorter distance when you\'re already out there. Get the most out of your training so you\'re ready for that race! There are lots of training programs for every different race distance - if you\'d like help finding a good one reach out with the contact form at the bottom of the page!<br /><br /><b> </b><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Rule #5 - PACE YOURSELF! Run Your Own Race.</b></span><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rAJ1GVTsFm4/Ukw3AEc2Q0I/AAAAAAAAB0o/CjcKl-NFShg/s1600/runyourownrace.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rAJ1GVTsFm4/Ukw3AEc2Q0I/AAAAAAAAB0o/CjcKl-NFShg/s400/runyourownrace.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><br />This one I learned the hard way. When you go and do a race, it can get very competitive. There\'s lots of people out there, you\'ve got the adrenaline pumping, you\'re antsy...and once you cross the starting line you just want to shoot off like a rocket and GO. <b>That\'s a bad idea</b>. My first 5K I shot off like a rocket - I broke out of the pack early and tried to beat everyone. I was able to maintain it and go hard the whole time...but it was only 5K. I tried to do the same thing on my first 10K...it didn\'t work out so well. There were a LOT more people...hundreds! I tried to bounce from open spot to open spot in an effort to break out into open space where I could really run. <b>By mile 4 I was toast.</b> I went SO hard in the first 5K that I had no gas left for the second 5K. I was so concerned with going fast and passing people that I didn\'t worry about myself and my own limits/abilities. <b>I paid for it in the end</b>. My time was absolutely <b>awful </b>compared to what it could have been. I learned my lesson and applied it to my Falmouth Road Race run...and <b>what an improvement! </b>I ran my own race and did WAY better than I did during the 10K...better average pace, a stronger run...I felt better...Trust me - this is a lesson you can take to the bank.<b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">&nbsp;</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Rule #6 - Know The Course And Have A Plan</span></b><br /><br />You should <b>absolutely</b> know the course before race-day. Know the route, know if there\'s hills and if so, how steep/long they are, and overall know what to expect from the course. Knowing the course<b> </b>ahead of time allows you to come up with a plan for your run - where the hard parts are, what parts you need to save some energy for, and where you can turn on the afterburners and just <b>go.</b> If you don\'t know the route you might burn yourself out before a particularly hard hill at the end. Conversely, you could be more conservative than you need to and not achieve your best possible time. You could also, heaven forbid, take a wrong turn! Suffice it to say - know the course and have a plan.<br /><br />I\'m sure there\'s more to running a race than just this, but these rules are a good jumping off point to help you achieve success in your first race(s)! Take these lessons to heart and learn from my mistakes - I certainly wish someone had told me about these when I was getting ready for MY first race(s)!<br /><i></i><br /><i>What tips would YOU give a beginner?</i> <i>Comment below!</i><br />','Race Beginner Do\'s & Don\'t\'s','','publish','open','open','','race-beginner-dos-donts','','','2017-01-15 08:04:42','2017-01-15 13:04:42','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=97',0,'post','',0),(98,1,'2013-09-30 15:14:00','2013-09-30 19:14:00','<b>Health and fitness isn\'t just about the body.</b> Stay with me here. Mind, body and spirit are all linked together. Your body can be in ultra-marathon shape, but if you don\'t believe you can do it, or you only think you can run a mile and you\'re gonna crap out...<b>guess what\'s going to happen.</b> Each of the three - mind, body and spirit - can affect the other...in a real, visceral way. So why am I getting all philosophical on you?<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lpZzGDSmRDw/UklxuSu68HI/AAAAAAAABzM/9XVoe1Kvomk/s1600/stress.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lpZzGDSmRDw/UklxuSu68HI/AAAAAAAABzM/9XVoe1Kvomk/s320/stress.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div>Stress is one of the WORST things you can do to your mind. If you are constantly over-stressed it can and very well <b>may</b> have a physical effect on your body. On this Motivational Monday morning, I want to have a little chat about stress, and why it is that Rule #1 of your day should be <b>\"DON\'T FREAK OUT!\" </b><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br />I\'ve thought about a lot of different ways to approach this topic. I suppose I kind of have to be careful because some people tend to get <b>very </b>worked up about things that<b>, </b>when you come right down to it, <b>really </b>aren\'t worth the agitation. I\'m sure you all know someone like that - the people who take everything way too seriously...who tweak and get bent about the most <b>trivial </b>things. Many of us (hopefully most of us) understand what things just aren\'t worth the stress and worry...but what about the things that DO matter? What about the bills, the lack of time in the day, the myriad obligations we have and are responsible for, the mile-long to-do list...it\'s all just <b>so much. </b>Sometimes some of the problems we face seem <b>so insurmountable </b>and the pressure put on us by others is <b>so intense</b> that we don\'t know what to do with it.<br /><br />I\'ve pulled the definition from Merriam-Webster below:<br /><blockquote><i>Stress:</i> <i>a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, etc.</i><br />further defined as: <br /><i>&nbsp;<span>a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation</span></i></blockquote>Mental  tension. Worry. When these are amplified and made to be extreme...all  it will do is impair your ability to solve issues. Notice in the  definition above that stress is defined as <i>a physical </i>(body), <i>chemical </i>(mind)<i>, or emotional </i>(spirit)<i> factor.&nbsp;</i> Stress really does affect you mind, body and spirit...the dictionary  even says so! No matter which one of the three stress-factors you are  experiencing...it will carry over to the other two areas. If you are physically strained your mind will believe you can\'t do it. If your mind believes you can\'t do it your spirit can be broken. If your spirit is broken, your body won\'t respond to its full potential. It\'s a cycle that can be hard to break out of.<br /><br /><table align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"><tbody><tr><td style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ShlkwbrMBsM/UkmR8CRRK2I/AAAAAAAABzs/nolqIInyGWw/s1600/killer-stress.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"213\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ShlkwbrMBsM/UkmR8CRRK2I/AAAAAAAABzs/nolqIInyGWw/s320/killer-stress.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=\"text-align: center;\">img from PBS.org</td></tr></tbody></table>I was having a conversation with a like-minded co-worker the other day about this topic, and we agreed on something - <b>stress isn\'t worth it.</b> Getting stressed out about all the bills you have to pay and your lack of funds to pay them with <b>doesn\'t magically make your paycheck bigger</b>. Getting stressed about how you don\'t have enough time to accomplish everything you need to <b>doesn\'t make the clock stop</b>. Stress does not solve problems...it can\'t! Some tension and worry can encourage you to give attention to a problem or to come up with a solution...but excessive worry and tension only serves to cloud you, clutter you, and put you in a kind of mind-lock where you can\'t focus well enough to clearly think and come up with a solution. <br /><br />Not only does stress <b>not </b>magically solve your problems, it actually <b>creates more</b>. You may become more irritable, you may have a hard time losing weight or even GAIN weight (or lose weight depending on your body). Your hair and nails may become more brittle and prone to breakage and your hair may shed more (ladies...sound familiar?). Stress can make you feel constantly overwhelmed - and if that\'s the case, eventually all this stress can build up and you might blow up on someone. At that point, it might not matter what\'s been stressing you for so long...it becomes about that last straw that broke the camel\'s back - all of a sudden someone who did just enough to send you over the edge is catching an earful (or worse!). <br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5xRm--X62SI/UkmI2xKr2oI/AAAAAAAABzc/ChA43RtTfU0/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5xRm--X62SI/UkmI2xKr2oI/AAAAAAAABzc/ChA43RtTfU0/s400/Untitled-1.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div>I thought that quote was pretty relevant in such a situation. <i>\"The time to relax is when you don\'t have time for it\"</i> - Sydney J. Harris<br /><br />The best advice I can give you is - Don\'t Freak Out! Relax, take a breath, and calm down. Once you do that, you can start to come up with constructive ways to resolve whatever issue you are facing. Sydney J. Harris (an American journalist) had it right! The BEST time to relax is when you feel like you don\'t have time for it. When you are bogged down by stress, scatterbrained, and ready to pop...you definitely don\'t feel like you have time for ANYTHING. <b>That </b>is when you need to stop, breath, and re-focus. If someone tries to tell you that <b>you don\'t care</b> because you aren\'t stressed...<b>brush it off</b>. You don\'t have to be stressed in order to care about something. I would argue that calming down, breathing and relaxing shows you care<b> MORE</b> - you\'re putting yourself in a position where you can actually be productive and use your noggin, right?<br /><br />The mind is a powerful thing - if you focus your energy in a positive way you can overcome <b>any </b>obstacle, issue, trial or tribulation. You&nbsp; can find a way to pay those bills. You can budget your time, dismiss the unimportant tasks, and get everything accomplished. You can lose 100+ pounds and take back your health, do that pushup <i>not </i>on your knees, climb that mountain, run that marathon...<b>there is nothing you can\'t accomplish!</b><br /><br />Just remember to take time, relax, breath, and <b>DONT FREAK OUT</b>.','DON\'T FREAK OUT!','','publish','open','open','','dont-freak-out','','','2017-01-08 11:09:46','2017-01-08 16:09:46','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=98',0,'post','',0),(99,1,'2013-09-27 13:43:00','2013-09-27 17:43:00','I\'ve been talking a lot about all these road races I\'m doing in the next two months - the 5K (from Sunday), the two 10K\'s, and of course the half-marathon. I\'m fortunate so many companies have signed on to sponsor me - they have made it possible for me to do these races and to continue to do work for a great cause (please be sure to check out the sponsors page and see who\'s helped me out - they\'re all great!). I\'ve only made a small announcement on Facebook, but the big news is -<br /><br /><b>I\'m fundraising for <a href=\"http://www.jimmyv.org/\" target=\"_blank\">The V Foundation For Cancer Research</a>!</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><b><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f70yhYqH3Mk/UkON7n9SwoI/AAAAAAAABzA/466xqGDiB7o/s1600/JimmyVLogo.gif\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"190\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f70yhYqH3Mk/UkON7n9SwoI/AAAAAAAABzA/466xqGDiB7o/s400/JimmyVLogo.gif\" width=\"400\" /></a></b></div><br />Yes, this campaign of runs is a fundraising campaign, and the fundraising officially started a few days ago. <a href=\"http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SoTHISIsFitness/ccm13\" target=\"_blank\">You can visit my online fundraising page here</a> if you\'d like to make a contribution. All of my training, <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">My Story</a>, and <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">My Transformation</a> has made this possible.<br /><br /><b> </b><br /><b>So...what IS The V Foundation and why do I (you) care?</b><br /><b></b><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><b>&nbsp;</b>The V Foundation\'s mission statement, found on their website, is:<br /><br /><i>The V Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to saving lives  by helping to find a cure for cancer.&nbsp; The Foundation seeks to make a  difference by generating broad-based support for cancer research and by  creating an urgent awareness among all Americans of the importance of  the war against cancer.&nbsp; The Foundation performs these dual roles  through advocacy, education, fundraising, and philanthropy.</i><br /><br />The V Foundation was founded in 1993 by former NCAA basketball coach and N.C. State Athletic Director Jim Valvano with the assistance of ESPN. It was announced in a tear-jerking speech at the 1993 ESPY awards (seen below).<br /><br /><br /><br />Basically, Jimmy V was diagnosed with terminal cancer and wanted to help find a cure. Going through it from the patient side of it, he realized just how slowly cancer research fundraising ended up benefiting the actual patient, so he sought to speed up the process. Jimmy V passed away just two months after his ESPY speech, but 20 years later The V Foundation is going strong, making an impact, and working hard towards realizing his ultimate goal of finding a cure.<br /><br /><b>So what exactly am I doing to help?</b><br /><br />I am running four races to raise awareness and raise money for The V Foundation. One of them has already happened, the other 3 are all in the month of October.<br /><b> </b><br />9/22/13 - <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/09/what-is-good-enough-tavern2tavern5k.html\" target=\"_blank\">Tavern to Tavern 5K - Cambridge, MA (finished 200/722 - time: 23:51 - 7:45 min/mile)</a><br />10/5/13 - <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/getting-things-in-mocean-running-update.html\" target=\"_blank\">Canal Run For The Troops 10K - Buzzard\'s Bay, MA</a><br />10/20/13 - <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/09/2-months-4-runs-one-great-cause.html\" target=\"_blank\">31st Annual Boston Firefighters Local 718 Memorial Road Race 10K - Dorchester, MA</a><br />10/26/13 - <a href=\" http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/on-to-the-next-one-13-1.html\" target=\"_blank\">Cape Cod Marathon Half - Falmouth, MA</a><br /><br />I\'m currently fundraising through word of mouth and online through social media. You can, again, reach my online fundraising page here:<br /><a href=\"http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SoTHISIsFitness/ccm13\">http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SoTHISIsFitness/ccm13</a><br />&nbsp;I\'m in the process of brainstorming a fundraising event to hold locally. More on that soon (I hope!).<br /><br /><b>Why The V Foundation?</b> <br /><br />I know there are a million charities out there I could be fundraising for and some people have asked me how/why I chose The V Foundation. The answer is very simple: My college fraternity - <a href=\"http://www.deltachi.org/\" target=\"_blank\">The Delta Chi Fraternity, Inc.</a> - partnered up with The V Foundation in 2006. Almost every philanthropy event I did as an undergraduate member of my Chapter was to benefit The V Foundation...needless to say I had a lot of exposure to it and what it stood for. After raising over $2,800 for Dana-Farber through my Falmouth Road Race run, I thought it\'d be nice to do something similar for the first charity I ever really worked with and that I had such ties to. All money raised through this campaign will be donated to The V Foundation on behalf of The Boston Area Alumni Chapter of Delta Chi. <br /><br /><b>So why should I care? And why should I contribute?</b><br /><br />These days it seems like everything causes cancer. We\'re figuring out every day that something else we\'ve gotten used to can give us cancer! Even some of those who do their best to avoid carcinogens can be struck by the disease, and unfortunately, nearly everyone has a friend or family member who has been touched by some form of cancer. Cancer has stumped the world\'s top scientists for years, and the research necessary to learn more and figure out how to beat cancer takes a lot of time, training and equipment which, of course, costs a lot of money.&nbsp; By contributing to fundraising for organizations like The V Foundation, we can help build up the funds needed for grants to help researchers who are working so hard to find a cure. <br /><b> </b><br /><b>Please help me make this a successful fundraising campaign!</b><br /><br />On behalf of The V Foundation for Cancer Research and The Boston Area Alumni Chapter of The Delta Chi Fraternity, Inc. I thank you all in advance for your help, support, and generosity! If you have any questions please don\'t hesitate to reach out and ask - Darrell@SoTHISIsFitness.com<br /><b> </b><br /><a href=\"http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SoTHISIsFitness/ccm13\"><b>http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SoTHISIsFitness/ccm13</b></a>','Do It For The V','','publish','open','open','','do-it-for-the-v','','','2017-01-21 09:03:05','2017-01-21 14:03:05','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=99',0,'post','',0),(698,1,'2017-01-15 08:05:40','2017-01-15 13:05:40','I\'ve been talking a lot about all these road races I\'m doing in the next two months - the 5K (from Sunday), the two 10K\'s, and of course the half-marathon. I\'m fortunate so many companies have signed on to sponsor me - they have made it possible for me to do these races and to continue to do work for a great cause (please be sure to check out the sponsors page and see who\'s helped me out - they\'re all great!). I\'ve only made a small announcement on Facebook, but the big news is -<br /><br /><b>I\'m fundraising for <a href=\"http://www.jimmyv.org/\" target=\"_blank\">The V Foundation For Cancer Research</a>!</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><b><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f70yhYqH3Mk/UkON7n9SwoI/AAAAAAAABzA/466xqGDiB7o/s1600/JimmyVLogo.gif\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"190\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f70yhYqH3Mk/UkON7n9SwoI/AAAAAAAABzA/466xqGDiB7o/s400/JimmyVLogo.gif\" width=\"400\" /></a></b></div><br />Yes, this campaign of runs is a fundraising campaign, and the fundraising officially started a few days ago. <a href=\"http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SoTHISIsFitness/ccm13\" target=\"_blank\">You can visit my online fundraising page here</a> if you\'d like to make a contribution. All of my training, <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">My Story</a>, and <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">My Transformation</a> has made this possible.<br /><br /><b> </b><br /><b>So...what IS The V Foundation and why do I (you) care?</b><br /><b></b><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><b>&nbsp;</b>The V Foundation\'s mission statement, found on their website, is:<br /><br /><i>The V Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to saving lives  by helping to find a cure for cancer.&nbsp; The Foundation seeks to make a  difference by generating broad-based support for cancer research and by  creating an urgent awareness among all Americans of the importance of  the war against cancer.&nbsp; The Foundation performs these dual roles  through advocacy, education, fundraising, and philanthropy.</i><br /><br />The V Foundation was founded in 1993 by former NCAA basketball coach and N.C. State Athletic Director Jim Valvano with the assistance of ESPN. It was announced in a tear-jerking speech at the 1993 ESPY awards (seen below).<br /><br /><br /><br />Basically, Jimmy V was diagnosed with terminal cancer and wanted to help find a cure. Going through it from the patient side of it, he realized just how slowly cancer research fundraising ended up benefiting the actual patient, so he sought to speed up the process. Jimmy V passed away just two months after his ESPY speech, but 20 years later The V Foundation is going strong, making an impact, and working hard towards realizing his ultimate goal of finding a cure.<br /><br /><b>So what exactly am I doing to help?</b><br /><br />I am running four races to raise awareness and raise money for The V Foundation. One of them has already happened, the other 3 are all in the month of October.<br /><b> </b><br />9/22/13 - <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/09/what-is-good-enough-tavern2tavern5k.html\" target=\"_blank\">Tavern to Tavern 5K - Cambridge, MA (finished 200/722 - time: 23:51 - 7:45 min/mile)</a><br />10/5/13 - <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/getting-things-in-mocean-running-update.html\" target=\"_blank\">Canal Run For The Troops 10K - Buzzard\'s Bay, MA</a><br />10/20/13 - <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/09/2-months-4-runs-one-great-cause.html\" target=\"_blank\">31st Annual Boston Firefighters Local 718 Memorial Road Race 10K - Dorchester, MA</a><br />10/26/13 - <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/on-to-next-one-131.html\" target=\"_blank\">Cape Cod Marathon Half - Falmouth, MA</a><br /><br />I\'m currently fundraising through word of mouth and online through social media. You can, again, reach my online fundraising page here:<br /><a href=\"http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SoTHISIsFitness/ccm13\">http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SoTHISIsFitness/ccm13</a><br />&nbsp;I\'m in the process of brainstorming a fundraising event to hold locally. More on that soon (I hope!).<br /><br /><b>Why The V Foundation?</b> <br /><br />I know there are a million charities out there I could be fundraising for and some people have asked me how/why I chose The V Foundation. The answer is very simple: My college fraternity - <a href=\"http://www.deltachi.org/\" target=\"_blank\">The Delta Chi Fraternity, Inc.</a> - partnered up with The V Foundation in 2006. Almost every philanthropy event I did as an undergraduate member of my Chapter was to benefit The V Foundation...needless to say I had a lot of exposure to it and what it stood for. After raising over $2,800 for Dana-Farber through my Falmouth Road Race run, I thought it\'d be nice to do something similar for the first charity I ever really worked with and that I had such ties to. All money raised through this campaign will be donated to The V Foundation on behalf of The Boston Area Alumni Chapter of Delta Chi. <br /><br /><b>So why should I care? And why should I contribute?</b><br /><br />These days it seems like everything causes cancer. We\'re figuring out every day that something else we\'ve gotten used to can give us cancer! Even some of those who do their best to avoid carcinogens can be struck by the disease, and unfortunately, nearly everyone has a friend or family member who has been touched by some form of cancer. Cancer has stumped the world\'s top scientists for years, and the research necessary to learn more and figure out how to beat cancer takes a lot of time, training and equipment which, of course, costs a lot of money.&nbsp; By contributing to fundraising for organizations like The V Foundation, we can help build up the funds needed for grants to help researchers who are working so hard to find a cure. <br /><b> </b><br /><b>Please help me make this a successful fundraising campaign!</b><br /><br />On behalf of The V Foundation for Cancer Research and The Boston Area Alumni Chapter of The Delta Chi Fraternity, Inc. I thank you all in advance for your help, support, and generosity! If you have any questions please don\'t hesitate to reach out and ask - Darrell@SoTHISIsFitness.com<br /><b> </b><br /><a href=\"http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SoTHISIsFitness/ccm13\"><b>http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SoTHISIsFitness/ccm13</b></a>','Do It For The V','','inherit','closed','closed','','99-revision-v1','','','2017-01-15 08:05:40','2017-01-15 13:05:40','',99,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/01/99-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(100,1,'2013-09-23 18:43:00','2013-09-23 22:43:00','<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument>  <w:View>Normal</w:View>  <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>  <w:TrackMoves/>  <w:TrackFormatting/>  <w:PunctuationKerning/>  <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>  <w:SaveIfXMLInval>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>  <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>  <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>  <w:DoNotPromoteQF/>  <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>  <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>  <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>  <w:Compatibility>   <w:BreakWrappedTables/>   <w:SnapToGridInCell/>   <w:WrapTextWithPunct/>   <w:UseAsianBreakRules/>   <w:DontGrowAutofit/>   <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>   <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>   <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>   <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>   <w:Word11KerningPairs/>   <w:CachedColBalance/>  </w:Compatibility>  <m:mathPr>   <m:mathFont m:val=\"Cambria Math\"/>   <m:brkBin m:val=\"before\"/>   <m:brkBinSub m:val=\"&#45;-\"/>   <m:smallFrac m:val=\"off\"/>   <m:dispDef/>   <m:lMargin m:val=\"0\"/>   <m:rMargin m:val=\"0\"/>   <m:defJc m:val=\"centerGroup\"/>   <m:wrapIndent m:val=\"1440\"/>   <m:intLim m:val=\"subSup\"/>   <m:naryLim m:val=\"undOvr\"/>  </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument></xml><![endif]-->It\'s been a mind-blowing couple of weeks for me. Within the last few weeks so much has happened…finished Body Beast, broke 190 lbs, got heavy into yoga, blowing away PR after PR running...I’m ecstatic to say the least! Then yesterday, I ran the Tavern to Tavern 5K and <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal;\">completely shattered</i> my last 5K time and my expectations for the day.  <br /><div><br /></div><div><b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">But why? How? </b></div><div><br /></div><div><b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">I decided </b>that everything I had done and accomplished so far <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">wasn’t good enough.</b></div><div><br /></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NHMrwIggMeA/UkCLYx8pc9I/AAAAAAAABs4/QZEKAlJkrwU/s1600/IMG_20130923_142231.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NHMrwIggMeA/UkCLYx8pc9I/AAAAAAAABs4/QZEKAlJkrwU/s320/IMG_20130923_142231.jpg\" height=\"251\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div>On this beautiful Motivational Monday Morning I want to talk about the words <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">“good enough”.</b> This is partly a Tavern to Tavern 5K recap and partly a breakdown of that phrase so many people use and can’t break past. The last few weeks has really made me think about those two simple words…it’s time for everyone else to think about it too.</div><div></div><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><div>So, let’s start with <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">The Tavern to Tavern 5K Recap</b></div><div><br /></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LV4wa-cA8XM/UkB9Gbsru8I/AAAAAAAABr0/qwdCIuj53fw/s1600/1231348_10202120953334306_1168709344_n.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LV4wa-cA8XM/UkB9Gbsru8I/AAAAAAAABr0/qwdCIuj53fw/s400/1231348_10202120953334306_1168709344_n.jpg\" height=\"372\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div>This was a fun race! There were 722 runners total – male, female, young, old…a good mix of people to make things interesting. Apparently the race organizer had a hell of a time – due to construction in Cambridge he had to re-map the course route 17 times in the last week or two. Poor guy! I’m sure he had to deal with the hardcore runners who were all bent out of shape that they didn’t know the EXACT course layout, etc etc. I was a little bummed because I was expecting a flat course, but it <span></span><span></span>didn’t really matter in the end – I had fun anyway. <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">Isn’t that the important part?</b> The course ended<span></span><span></span> up being a kind of lollypop loop – out along one street, took a right and did a loop, eventually came back to the street we started on, ran past where the starting line was and went through the finish line “chute”. There were definitely some hills on the course but overall I feel like I was able to power through it. I had to remind myself to <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">do my own thing</b>, don’t worry about everyone passing me. I don’t care HOW fast I was able to go yesterday…there’s <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">still </b>going to be someone faster than me. I mean…the top finisher came in at a little over 15 minutes…<b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">are you kidding me?</b> Yeah, I can deal with people passing me. I think that’s what saved me – if I had let it get to me and tried to go even harder I’m pretty sure I would’ve crapped out. </div><div><br /></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XJ-flzUBvbo/UkB8Ll7JswI/AAAAAAAABrU/77U_x4xLA_s/s1600/BUxrbugCUAA659B.jpg+large.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XJ-flzUBvbo/UkB8Ll7JswI/AAAAAAAABrU/77U_x4xLA_s/s400/BUxrbugCUAA659B.jpg+large.jpg\" height=\"225\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div>There was a great post-race party too! Sam Adams / Boston Beer Company sponsored the party so there was free Sam Boston Lager and Curious Traveler summer shandy. Pretty fantastic if I do say so myself. The race organizer was also giving away a TON of swag, so that was pretty cool. Ended up getting this year’s shirt, both a regular and performance version of last year’s, plus pint glasses! Whoever says they don’t care about the t-shirts at a road race is either lying or has too many t-shirts. Get it in a medium and give it to me if you don’t want it. Hah.</div><div><br /></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NQEA-axNYMw/UkCEZBKDIsI/AAAAAAAABsY/uD5yXx8TRlU/s1600/1237114_10202121000975497_566356172_n.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NQEA-axNYMw/UkCEZBKDIsI/AAAAAAAABsY/uD5yXx8TRlU/s400/1237114_10202121000975497_566356172_n.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"300\" /></a></div><div style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">Thanks again to Flex Appeal Sports Nutrition for sponsoring me!&nbsp;</span></div><div style=\"text-align: center;\"><b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"><br /></b></div><div><b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">So what about this “good enough” thing?</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Well, that’s why I feel I can combine the “Motivational Monday” article I wanted to write and my recap of the race…they go hand in hand. In yesterday’s race I was reaching for the sky and shooting for breaking 25 minutes. Considering I ran a 5K in my neighborhood in 26:30…I thought knocking a minute and a half off was a good goal. And what ended up happening?</div><div><br /></div><div><b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">I broke 24 minutes instead.</b></div><div><br /></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IRo5zBpW3mw/UkB8lfUNE0I/AAAAAAAABrk/NzahWKonSSo/s1600/1235198_10202121317063399_705503009_n.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IRo5zBpW3mw/UkB8lfUNE0I/AAAAAAAABrk/NzahWKonSSo/s400/1235198_10202121317063399_705503009_n.jpg\" height=\"303\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lHCbowevQw4/UkB8YlqF-4I/AAAAAAAABrc/lzmkXaZqsUI/s1600/1235198_10202121317063399_705503009_n.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><br /></a></div><div>It made me stop and double-check the LED time clock at the finish…”did that really happen?” – I <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">SMOKED </b>the time I was aiming for…absolutely <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">smashed it.</b> I finished in 23:51 (in the above pic I had actually already crossed - can\'t tell from the angle). Many people would think that kind of progress was plenty good enough and would be completely satisfied with where they had gotten. They’d understand that it was only 5K and perhaps that pace (roughly 7:40 min/mile) might be a bit too fast for a longer race, like a 10K or 5 miler <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal;\">and they’d be OK with that</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"><u>I am not OK with that answer.</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">Don’t get me wrong</b>, I’m THRILLED with my performance yesterday! Absolutely, positively <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">pleased as punch</b> that I went <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal;\">that </i>fast and shattered my previous Personal Record (which, by the way, I only set within the last couple weeks).</div><div><br /></div><div><b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">But why stop there?</b></div><div><br /></div><div>I was having a conversation with a co-worker the other day – she runs, she’s kind of a fitness person…and she said something that stuck with me. It went something like “I see all these other people and I think to myself – I’m doing better than a lot of these other people…that’s good enough for me.” – I didn’t really know what to do with that. She was basing her goals on her opinion that she was in better shape than a lot of other people and thus, didn’t need to go any further. <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">I don’t get it.</b> For me…it’s not about anyone else. It’s about <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">me</b>, and being <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">better than I was yesterday</b>. There’s <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">no such thing</b>as “good enough”…it doesn’t exist. <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">It doesn’t make sense</b>.</div><div><br /></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6rEQeEg7cYg/UkB9lXJ9sFI/AAAAAAAABr8/kJOrWRcfqaQ/s1600/1238298_10202121315423358_1213095490_n.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6rEQeEg7cYg/UkB9lXJ9sFI/AAAAAAAABr8/kJOrWRcfqaQ/s400/1238298_10202121315423358_1213095490_n.jpg\" height=\"366\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div>As far as I’m concerned, fitness should be about constant improvement of oneself. Continue to reach higher, go farther, run faster, lift heavier, improve your physique…<b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">continually become a better you. </b>“Good enough” is an excuse to stop. “Good enough” is (no offense) the lazy man’s way out. It’s a cop-out, and I think it opens the door for “I Don’t Feel Like It Syndrome” to set in. Why should where you’re at be “good enough”?</div><div><br /></div><div><b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">You have not yet reached the mountaintop. </b></div><div><br /></div><div>Over time, yes, progress will slow down. Your improvements will become smaller and will take more time to achieve. <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">That’s OK</b>. I’m losing weight much more slowly now than when I started, but I also <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">don’t have 100 lbs to lose anymore</b>. I’m increasing my weights a bit more slowly now, but <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">I’m not weak and wimpy anymore.</b> I’m reaching farther in my stretches a bit more slowly now, but <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">I can already reach pretty far.</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">It’s all relative.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>After a while, these things happen more slowly and after more work because…well…<b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">you’re already doing so well!</b> Take that as another measure of success! I CAN’T lose weight at the rate I used to…because I don’t have that much left TO lose! Don’t lose faith once you get “pretty good”, and don’t let “pretty good” become “good enough”. “Pretty good” can still become “really good” and “really good” can become “wow, I’m impressed”! <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">Continue to work hard and test your limits.</b> Fitness is about how you stack up against Yester-You. Continue to become a better <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">you</b>. It’s not about anyone else, it’s not about how many people you’re going faster than, and it’s not about how many people you’re generally <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">better off than</b>. It’s about <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">you, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal;\">you </i></b>and <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"><u>only you.</u></b> I finished 200<sup>th</sup> out of 722…that’s pretty good! Next time I’m sure I’ll do even better. There’s no such thing as “good enough”. Don’t forget…</div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div><br /></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-on0raOkOfKw/UkCD6qvrWnI/AAAAAAAABsQ/mivtaY_ZUEA/s1600/yesteryou.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-on0raOkOfKw/UkCD6qvrWnI/AAAAAAAABsQ/mivtaY_ZUEA/s400/yesteryou.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div><b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">You can always keep improving.</b> Get it. </div>','What Is \"Good Enough\"? +  Tavern2Tavern5K Recap','','publish','open','open','','what-is-good-enough-tavern2tavern5k-recap','','','2017-01-18 07:46:48','2017-01-18 12:46:48','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=100',0,'post','',0),(101,1,'2013-09-16 15:00:00','2013-09-16 19:00:00','Now that I\'ve undergone such big changes and my body has transformed so much, I\'ve gotten a better understanding of both my pre-fitness mindset and my current boundaries and limitations. The funny thing is...they go hand in hand.<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3SC41-blrdg/UjZyBZdbFTI/AAAAAAAABo8/OH1Y1xygKTY/s1600/idontthinklimits.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3SC41-blrdg/UjZyBZdbFTI/AAAAAAAABo8/OH1Y1xygKTY/s400/idontthinklimits.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><br />On this Motivational Monday morning, I want to have a (relatively) brief and (per usual) candid chat about knowing yourself, being in touch with your body, and learning your limits. I hope many of you will come to find what I did - <b>it\'s all in your head.</b><br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><b>When I was 300 lbs </b>part of what was holding me back was <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/defeating-demotivators-1-the-fear-monster.html\" target=\"_blank\">The Fear Monster</a>. I was afraid to get up and go, I was afraid of failure. I wasn\'t really sure what my physical limits were...where my boundaries lay...<b>but I figured the bar was pretty low</b>. I knew how easily I got winded and I wasn\'t too keen on finding out just how little I could really do. So I just assumed I was pretty limited in terms of physical fitness. No running a mile, no heavy lifting, no endurance to speak of...nothing.<br /><br /><b>Then I started getting fit.</b> I started pushing it, going until exhaustion...<b>and then continuing</b>. This was a big step for me...I had never tested my boundaries...never challenged my limits. But I had to get through the workout. I had to keep up with the people in the video. I had to look impressive for Megan or <i>at least </i>look like I was making progress. Slowly but surely the little victories came...I could do regular push-ups instead of on my knees...I could do the jump a little between lunges instead of having to step quickly through them...progress is progress, right? Slowly, I kept getting better. I even tried going for a run!<br /><br /><b>Then Something Happened Last Week -&nbsp;</b> <br />I finished Body Beast...and I started getting onto my endurance training calendar for the half-marathon I\'m running. I went out for a run, and decided to do a fast 5K. Just <i>go </i>and see what I can do. I was <b>cookin\'</b>. I got back home and crossed my little \"finish line\"...and Runkeeper\'s audio cues came on when I \"stopped\" the run - my pace had <b>drastically </b>improved. I\'m not talking like baby steps progress, good for you, rah rah rah...I\'m talking <b>WHOA...who kicked on the afterburners? </b>I got 8:22 min/mile average - that\'s about a minute and a half off my usual mile time. I had no idea how I went that fast or maintained that pace over 3.1 miles...<b>but I did it</b>.<br /><br /><b>The Next Day </b>I went on a longer run - I had planned on 8 miles but only had time for 5, so I went. As I was running I heard my Runkeeper audio cues over the music of my playlist...telling me 9:15 min/mile, 8:56 min/mile, 8:57 min/mile...um...<b>EXCUSE ME</b>? <b>I was doing it again! </b>This time, I was going farther...could I maintain that past the 3 mile mark? Was it <b>possible?</b><br /><br /><b>YES! </b>I did 5.06 miles in 44:36. That\'s an average pace of 8:49. <b>You\'ve got to be kidding me!</b> The bottom line here is...my initial perceptions have gone out the window...totally shattered. My boundaries have been <b>pushed off a cliff</b>. I don\'t actually know what my limits are now, but I\'m convinced I can continue pushing them and improving. People like to say \"no, that\'s impossible\" \"no, there\'s no way I can do that\". <b>Nonsense. </b>One of my favorite quotes out there...is about the word \"impossible\".<br /><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dI0SobW7TAw/Ue14lv4J6TI/AAAAAAAAA-4/FdU2N0hF-IY/s1600/impossible-is-nothing1.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dI0SobW7TAw/Ue14lv4J6TI/AAAAAAAAA-4/FdU2N0hF-IY/s1600/impossible-is-nothing1.jpg\" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><i>\"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they\'ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact, it\'s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration, it\'s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.\" - Muhammad Ali</i><br /><br /><b>We create our limits in our minds. </b>I firmly believe that, given time and training, <b>anything is possible. </b>Our bodies are amazingly adaptable and will take as much as we are willing to throw at them. The human body can morph from 300 lbs and sedentary to 160 lbs and running ultramarathons. <b>The body will learn to do what you tell it. </b>If you just take the time and train, you can do anything. That\'s how professional body builders get so huge. That\'s how these people who run 100 mile races get that kind of endurance. <b>That\'s how I got where I am. </b>I whole-heartedly believe that, and I hope others will come to figure it out as they too push their limits and learn their potential.<br /><br /><b>The mind is an incredibly powerful thing</b> - if you believe you\'re sick, and you believe it hard enough, your body will manifest that and you\'ll get sick (it\'s an actual medical thing). If you believe you can\'t do something, you simply won\'t be able to. If you believe that you can\'t run, you will never make it past the first mile. But if you <b>let go</b> of the mental roadblocks you\'ve created for yourself and just...well...<b>try</b>...you\'ll be amazed at the things you can accomplish. In the last week I have had so many personal milestone accomplishments...its like all of a sudden I <b>broke through</b> to a new place. My body is more flexible, I found&nbsp; core strength I didn\'t know I had, I can run faster...all because <b>I just let go </b>of all the mental roadblocks and limits that I thought I had.<br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Lose your limits.</b> </span><b>&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><b>I challenge you not to</b> focus on what you can\'t do, or what you think you can\'t do...but to work on <b>being better than you were yesterday.</b> Reach a little farther, go a little faster, experiment with&nbsp; a little more weight...you\'ll find that over time, as you try harder and harder, you will go farther and farther. You will <b>shatter </b>your own perceptions of your ability. No matter how out of reach something might seem, just remember - <br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r6QzF3n9mDs/UjcbDB-Z99I/AAAAAAAABpQ/ZHY68-GNkdE/s1600/giventime.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r6QzF3n9mDs/UjcbDB-Z99I/AAAAAAAABpQ/ZHY68-GNkdE/s400/giventime.jpg\" width=\"400\" />&nbsp;</a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">It won\'t come to you...you have to <b>work for it</b>.</span><b> </b></span></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>So get out there and GET IT!</b> </span></div><br /><b> </b>','Lose Your Limits','','publish','open','open','','lose-your-limits','','','2017-01-20 16:45:51','2017-01-20 21:45:51','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=101',0,'post','',0),(102,1,'2013-09-13 14:51:00','2013-09-13 18:51:00','Another program finished, another round of \"after pictures\" and measurements. I\'m pretty stoked, not gonna lie. This is the reward after every workout program...results. There is nothing quite like seeing the fruits of your labors. I usually just post a bunch of pictures on Facebook and call it a day, but I decided, this time, to do my \"after recap\" in the form of an article talking not just about my results, but the program itself.<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s8-PBkyzqLE/UjMAdRdJyBI/AAAAAAAABkI/iwt6E6GtaWc/s1600/timthumb.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"106\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s8-PBkyzqLE/UjMAdRdJyBI/AAAAAAAABkI/iwt6E6GtaWc/s400/timthumb.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div>So, I\'ll dive right into my results (since that\'s the best part!) then cover a little bit about Body Beast.<br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><b>Results (only listing changed measurements):</b><br />Weight - 188 lbs (from 197.8)<br /><b></b>Biceps - 15 in. (from 13.8!)<br />Waist - 32 in. (from 34)<br />Chest - 39 in. (from 40.8)<br />Thighs 23.5 in. (from 25.3)<br />Calves 17.5 in (from 18)<br /><br />Neck and hips stayed the same, but I wasn\'t really expecting any movement there - tough for those to get any smaller. Overall...<b>wow!</b> More fat was cut all over, and my biceps blew up! Now...before we delve into this...take a look at what those kind of changes look like when done by building muscle while at the same time cutting fat - <br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><br /><div data-href=\"https://plus.google.com/111258674674819401777/posts/jgbriPrLBWL\"></div><br />All I can say is...<b>wow!</b> A year makes a big difference, huh? So how about some from before and after just this program? (blue shorts are after, neon are before)<br /><div data-href=\"https://plus.google.com/111258674674819401777/posts/C5skZNTKCKp\"></div><br /><b>So, what happened?</b><br />I tried to eat in such a way that I would, essentially, be cutting and bulking at the same time - only adding lean mass (muscle) while at the same time burning fat. While it can be difficult to see some of the differences between before and after bodybeast (yellow/black and blue shorts) I think I can safely say...it worked! I leaned out a bit more, cut inches in some places and added inches in others (biceps), and I can see more tone and definition. Could I have added more muscle if I ate differently? <b>Probably</b>. But I was being careful. Having been so big before...I wanted to make sure I stayed on track and didn\'t go back up. I\'m not ready for TRUE bulking (which I\'ll talk about in a later article). I couldn\'t handle it mentally...I\'d get unhappy really fast. <br /><br /><b>So What\'s So Special About Body Beast?</b><br /><br />Body Beast\'s \"thing\" is it uses <i>dynamic set training</i>. Dynamic Set Training changes things up - you do several types of sets:<br />traditional \"single sets\" (eg. 10 reps x 3 sets)<br />\"super sets\" (two exercises back to back (eg. 10 reps incline bench then 10 reps incline fly = set 1)<br />\"giant sets\" (three exercises)<br />\"drop sets\" (final set is really two - 8 reps heavy weight immediately drop to 8 reps lighter weight)<br />\"force sets\" (5 sets of 5 reps back to back to back with ~5 sec rest in-between)<b> </b><br /><br />It forces your body to work harder, use more muscles, and get bigger. Sagi Kalev, the program\'s creator and the big jacked guy in the video, says that if you do it right and eat right your body has no choice but to get bigger. <b>I\'m inclined to believe him, seeing my results</b>. The program is split into three phases - Build, Bulk, and BEAST. Build gives you a foundation to work up from, Bulk packs on the muscle with heavy lifting focusing on a single muscle group, and Beast is sort of a combination, designed to help you lean out a bit, get some tone and see the definition you\'ve been working for over the past couple of months.<br /><br />Every workout program out there is all about getting slimmer, tighter, losing weight...if you want to <b>gain weight, build muscle, and get BIG</b>...Body Beast is for you. Next time I\'m ready to bulk and get some serious muscle on...I will be coming back to Body Beast. It\'s a monster! <br /><br /><b>So Now What?</b><br /><br />Now it is time to put away the pre-workout, leave the iron on the rack, and go back to cardio-land. I\'m beginning the serious endurance training for the Cape Cod Marathon Half. I\'ll be doing a combination of running training, yoga and a new BeachBody Program - Focus T25 (from the creator of INSANITY). I\'ll try to post some periodic updates to talk about how that program is.<br /><b> </b><br /><b>Just remember - </b>If I can do this, anyone can. That includes YOU.','Body Beast - Results and Recap','','publish','open','open','','body-beast-results-and-recap','','','2017-01-12 15:47:44','2017-01-12 20:47:44','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=102',0,'post','',3),(103,1,'2013-09-09 14:04:00','2013-09-09 18:04:00','<a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ycoIyAHdC0k/Ui26pd_QY5I/AAAAAAAABf4/1H4jfoWfW6k/s1600/Screenshot_2013-09-09-08-08-14.png\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ycoIyAHdC0k/Ui26pd_QY5I/AAAAAAAABf4/1H4jfoWfW6k/s400/Screenshot_2013-09-09-08-08-14.png\" width=\"225\" /></a>There really just aren\'t enough hours in the day. Life is busy! We have so many things we need to get done in 24 hours...and it\'s just not enough. Work, sleep, eat, meetings, chores, errands, meet up with friends...before you know it you\'re overdue on a whole laundry list of things...oh and there\'s the laundry too! I have a whole screen of my phone (multiple homescreens) dedicated to my \"To Do\". That\'s it, right there! That\'s not even the whole list...those widgets <b>scroll</b>. I even have to color-code it to keep it all straight. I\'m sure some of you can relate.<br /><br /><b>Bottom line is...</b>how are we supposed to be expected to juggle everything we\'ve got going on <b>AND </b>get a workout in? It\'s crazy! What if you work a 12 hour day? What if you\'ve got the kids to worry about? It just. Doesn\'t. WORK.<br /><br />Well...On this lovely Motivational Monday morning...I\'m here to tell you...We have to <b>make it work.</b> \"BUT HOW?! I just can\'t do it!\" <b>Yes. You CAN. </b>And it\'s not as daunting as it might seem.<br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><b>OK... I know what you\'re probably thinking.</b><br /><br />You\'re probably thinking I have <b>no idea</b> how busy you are, <b>how much</b> you have to get done, and&nbsp;<b> how much this just doesn\'t work for you</b>. Well...that\'s just the thing. <b>It\'s not GOING to work for you</b>. You have to <b>make it </b>work. <b>You </b>have to work. Nothing worthwhile in this world comes easy. Your ideal body is no exception to that rule. It\'s never easy adding something else onto your plate, and that goes doubly so for a commitment of this magnitude. Last August, if I knew what this was going to become...300 lb me <b>probably</b> wouldn\'t have gone for it. 300 lb me would think 188 lb me was insane.<br /><br /><b>Baby steps.&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NyoeB1EbLPQ/Ui294Hk9WNI/AAAAAAAABgE/SIZWX5yvGYY/s1600/pugg-wall-clock__13080_PE040801_S4.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"200\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NyoeB1EbLPQ/Ui294Hk9WNI/AAAAAAAABgE/SIZWX5yvGYY/s200/pugg-wall-clock__13080_PE040801_S4.jpg\" width=\"200\" /></a><b> </b><br /><b>What I find</b> is that most people staring a workout regimen in the face aren\'t looking at <b>that</b> big of a picture - they\'re looking at day one. Or week one. They\'re  looking at 45 minutes squeezed into their day, or an hour, an hour and a  half, even two hours when all\'s said and done getting to the gym,  working out, showering, coming home...<b>oh no Darrell...that\'s SO much time I don\'t have!</b><br /><br /><b>That\'s the thing...</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mglP1WHNXM0/Ui3AIREn8UI/AAAAAAAABgQ/xF3B2-hc4ns/s1600/excuseshappy.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mglP1WHNXM0/Ui3AIREn8UI/AAAAAAAABgQ/xF3B2-hc4ns/s320/excuseshappy.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><b>If that\'s the mentality</b>...you probably just don\'t want it bad enough yet. I know I know...I don\'t know you, I have no idea what you want...<br /><br /><b>Truth of the matter is</b>, when you want something bad enough, you will <b>move mountains</b> to make it happen. If not, you won\'t move very far from the couch. I know plenty of people who say they don\'t have time, they\'re SO busy...but somehow find time to watch hours and hours of TV each day...(<a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/the-i-dont-feel-like-it-syndrome.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"I Don\'t Feel Like It\" Syndrome</a>, anyone?)<br /><br /><b>The important thing to know is: </b>There is ALWAYS a way to make it work.<br /><br /><b>So, I\'ve done a lot of talking but I haven\'t told you how yet. </b><br /><br />You have to take a good hard look at what you\'ve got going on in your life. Look at your daily schedule. You probably have a LOT of free time that you don\'t even realize you have! My college fraternity - <a href=\"http://www.deltachi.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Delta Chi</a>, has a part of their scholarship program dedicated to Time Management - I\'m pulling this directly from that program...because it <b>works</b>. Take a blank weekly schedule like the one below (you can download it from http://www.time-management-abilities.com/printable-planners.html under \"advanced planners\":<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dnK00cAo53o/Ui3CyoO_JKI/AAAAAAAABgc/z-lO4mHExGE/s1600/weekly-planner-printable-planner-sample.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"289\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dnK00cAo53o/Ui3CyoO_JKI/AAAAAAAABgc/z-lO4mHExGE/s400/weekly-planner-printable-planner-sample.png\" width=\"400\" /></a></div>Fill it out in order of: <br />1. Work (include travel time and getting ready...be reasonable)<br />2. Sleep<br />3. Meals (including cook time)<br />We\'ll pause here. All the remaining time, right now, is \"free time\". Yes, I know, you have SO MUCH you need to do...that\'s not free time. Well...here\'s where the next step comes in...<b>Prioritizing</b>.<br /><br />Yes, there\'s a lot you need to get done. Ok, great. This is the time where you need to decide what is ACTUALLY important. You might surprise yourself. Things like doctor\'s appointments, grocery shopping (gotta have food to eat, right?) picking the kids up from school or bringing them to sports/activities/etc are going to be high priorities. Many of these things likely have to happen at a certain time, so that\'s going to bump them a little higher up on the priority list as well. All of the other little things you need to get done are probably lower priority items. So, let\'s go ahead and put those high priority items on the calendar. So now we have<br /><br />1. Work | 2. Sleep | 3. Meals | 4. High Priority Items<br /><br />And the rest is free time. There\'s still probably a good bit of free time left each day, right? It might be occurring at strange times, but it\'s there. <b>This is the part where you can shimmy a workout in.</b><br /><br /><b>Yes, I know</b>...you still have SO MUCH you need to get done. That\'s what <b>prioritizing</b> is about. If you\'re still reading this, you\'ve already decided that getting your health and fitness straightened out is a high enough priority that you can shuffle some lower-priority things around. <b>So,</b> let\'s find a convenient place to stick that workout. I like to work out first thing in the morning...energizes me, gives me a boost for my day, gets it out of the way and...frankly...at the end of a long day I\'m worn out and there\'s a good chance I could lose motivation. I recommend you work out as early as you can. The earlier you work out, the more energy you\'ll have and the more successful your workout will be. <br /><br /><b>So now we\'ve got</b><br />1. Work | 2. Sleep | 3. Meals | 4. High Priority | 5. Workout | 6. Low Priority<br /><br />Now you can fit all of those other lower-priority items into your day. Throughout the course of the week, I\'m sure there\'s enough free time to get everything done that you need to get done. You probably even STILL have some free time left after that!<b> This will even work for the people who work crazy shifts</b>.<br /><br /><b>Yes, </b>this is not a fool-proof system. There are some people out there who work two jobs, three jobs, are going non-stop, and might not think they have time. Well, these are the people who need to take \"make it work\" to heart. I know plenty of people who will sacrifice something to make the workout happen. Sleep just a little bit less, get up a little bit earlier, go to bed a little earlier or later, take a little less time to eat, get ready for work a little bit faster...You need to look at your schedule once you\'ve gone through the list of work, sleep, meals, and high priority items and think hard about what or how you can shuffle, squeeze or re-arrange to make it work.<br /><br />I challenge you to <b>stay strong</b> and put the workout into the schedule before the low priority items. The only reason I wouldn\'t count the workout as a \"high priority item\" is because it <i>doesn\'t have to happen at a particular time</i>. High priority items should be the kind of thing that either HAS TO happen first, or <b>has to</b> happen at a particular time (such as a doctors appt., or getting to a business before it closes, etc). <br /><br />I\'ve gone through a lot of trial and error getting my schedule to work. I\'ve had a lot of ups and downs. Working in a restaurant, my schedule is different week to week...<b>I have to make it work</b>. As I\'ve gone through these 5 different programs I\'ve done, I\'ve gotten a little better at it each time. But, as I get more and more dedicated to my fitness I have to look a little harder at my schedule. I\'ve designed an endurance training schedule for <a href=\" http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/on-to-the-next-one-13-1.html\" target=\"_blank\">my half-marathon run</a> that is pretty involved...I\'m juggling a workout program, running, and yoga. I have commitments with Delta Chi, my Masonic Lodge, work, my fiancee, etc etc. <b>I\'m</b> making it work. <b>You</b> can too. <br /><br /><b>In almost every case</b> there is a way to make it work. You just have to find it. If you can\'t, <b>reach out to me</b> at Darrell@SoTHISIsFitness.com and I will do my best to help you figure it out. If you find you\'re having a hard time keeping your priorities straight (or <b>doing</b> the prioritizing in the first place) or want a community to help keep you accountable and share your struggles, please feel free to join the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/sothisisfitness/\" target=\"_blank\">\"So Fit\" Family on Facebook</a>. It\'s a special community within the \"So THIS Is Fitness...\" world where we share our successes, seek support during tough days, seek and share advice and keep each other motivated to be and do our best and get to the goal we\'re all chasing.<br /><br />Just remember...<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xUySsNkZkb0/Ui3JRUvtscI/AAAAAAAABg4/hrQok_YxeCU/s1600/grassgreensweat.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xUySsNkZkb0/Ui3JRUvtscI/AAAAAAAABg4/hrQok_YxeCU/s400/grassgreensweat.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><br />','Making It Work - Time Management','','publish','open','open','','making-it-work-time-management','','','2017-01-21 09:03:04','2017-01-21 14:03:04','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=103',0,'post','',0),(104,1,'2013-09-06 13:56:00','2013-09-06 17:56:00','<b>Ladies and Gentlemen</b>, welcome to <u>my first official product review</u> - FitAid! I\'ve had so many things to talk about that I\'ve kind of just put off reviewing things, but today I have something I\'m really excited to get out there. So...without further ado...\r\n\r\n<strong>Let\'s talk about this little drink called FitAID.</strong> Long story short, they sent me a 4 pack to try out, I gave it a whirl, and I was very impressed. There\'s a lot to this versatile little drink - I had it before and after both a run and a strength training workout. Now that I\'ve experienced it, I\'m ready to talk about it!\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-567 alignright\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/IMG_20130812_132634_341-170x300.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Box Image\" width=\"170\" height=\"300\" />\r\n<h4><strong>So...what\'s the deal with FitAid?</strong></h4>\r\nFitAID is <i>not </i>an energy drink - it is a \"synergy drink\" (the company likes to be very clear on this point). The box has lots of artwork and information on it all about the benefits of the drink... including a <b>\"Paleo Friendly\"</b> stamp. I\'m going to cover the \"Paleo\" thing in a future article <em>(EDIT: 3 years later...still haven\'t covered it. whoops)</em>, but suffice it to say: it strives to remove everything \"processed\" from your life and bring things back to <u>caveman-basics</u>.\r\n\r\nAs you can well imagine, a hardcore nutrition plan like that would pretty much put the kibosh on most, if not all, pre-workout supplements and energy drinks. Paleo has more or less been adopted as the go-to nutrition plan for CrossFit (which has become massive)...so that left a <b>GAPING </b>hole in the fitness/nutrition world for someone to fill. Lo and behold - FitAID came along.\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>\r\n<h4><img class=\"wp-image-568 alignleft\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/IMG_20130812_132656_038-271x300.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Box Image\" width=\"245\" height=\"271\" /><strong>While there are a lot of great things in this drink,</strong></h4>\r\nwhat I think is just as important is <b>what isn\'t in it.</b> They say this product is 100% natural and they <b>mean</b> it. Right on the top of the box it lists off several things that DO NOT appear in this product: sucralose, aspartame, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, crystaline fructose, \"artificial anything\". <b>This makes me very happy, </b>and it should make YOU happy too. Why? <em>Who</em> cares? Well, for one, aspartame - an artificial sweetener - has well-known ill-effects on your health, high fructose corn syrup is just bad news, and the general lack of artificial \"anything\" is just great.\r\n\r\nThink about it - your body has to <i>do something</i> with everything you put into it. If you\'re putting artificial things into it, your body has to figure out what to do with it - <b>our bodies aren\'t designed to process artificial things...we force our body to do it. </b>Many of these artificial things we put in our body on a regular basis end up hanging out for a while. Ever hear of someone doing a \"detox\"? More often than not, they\'re trying to flush the remnants of these artificial things out. <b>How about we just don\'t introduce them into our bodies in the first place.</b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4><strong>So let\'s talk about what IS in FitAID.</strong></h4>\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-569 alignright\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/IMG_20130812_133025_495-300x227.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Box Sidepanel\" width=\"300\" height=\"227\" />It\'s pretty important to understand what exactly is <b>in</b> this drink that\'s helping to power you through your workout, and helping your recovery after. There\'s a pretty big range of ingredients in here! There are electrolytes and vitamins (like many other drinks contain), there are lots of amino acids (including L-Glutamine, which is HUGELY important for muscle recovery), and there are other things such as glucosamine, tumeric, CoQ-10, bilberry...some of these aren\'t things you generally see in a \"fitness drink\" or a \"pre/post workout drink\", but they are part of an overall supplementation picture that FitAID is going for.</div>\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\">These ingredients support flexibility, joint health, cardiovascular health, balance, provide antioxidants to your body...I\'ve never seen such an all-encompassing range of body-health ingredients in a drink! Check out the label below:</div>\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"> <img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-572\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/91YkeZO8FoL._SL1500_-277x300.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Supplement Facts Label\" width=\"277\" height=\"300\" /></div>\r\n<b>Remember how I mentioned there\'s no </b>aspartame, sucralose, HFCS, etc? <b>So it tastes awful, right?</b> <u>No</u>. It actually tastes really good. <b>How, you ask?</b> It\'s sweetened with Blue Agave Nectar...just 9 grams of all-natural sweetening in this thing. 45 calories total in the drink. Pretty awesome if you ask me.\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>\r\n<h4><b>Actual Experience With The Drink Please? </b></h4>\r\n<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-570 alignright\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/IMG_20130821_115725_432-170x300.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Poured\" width=\"170\" height=\"300\" /><u>Take a look at that drink.</u> That\'s right after pouring it into the glass. <em>(Yes, you\'re meant to drink it from the can, I just did it to see the color, carbonation and clarity.)</em> That fizz died down pretty quickly - FitAID is very lightly carbonated to aid with absorption of all the supplements in it. The yellow/orange color is simply a result of the ingredients - there are NO artificial OR natural things added in order to color it. No dyes, no beet juice, no nothing. That\'s just what color it ended up being.\r\n\r\nIf you look closely, you\'ll notice its not crystal clear...it\'s kind of \"cloudy\". The company actually talks about this on its site, saying this is because it\'s so packed with supplements - 2343 mg of supplements and active ingredients, to be exact. They challenge you to ask why other sports performance drinks <b>aren\'t</b> cloudy (they\'re implying its because other drinks aren\'t packed with good stuff, in case you were wondering).\r\n<h4><strong>One of the things FitAID is clear on...</strong></h4>\r\n...is how large an amount of supplements is actually crammed into this little 12 oz can. Most vitamin drinks and sports performance drinks have relatively trace amounts of these things. The levels of concentration in FitAID makes it something you can take before an intense workout and <b>actually feel confident you\'re getting a boost. </b>This drink was designed by former athletes to power people through CrossFit - if it\'s good enough for them it\'s good enough for ANY workout. <b> In case you were worried - </b>there was no sediment in there...while it WAS cloudy, there was nothing floating, no sediment, and nothing separated out...it really was just cloudy because of how saturated with supplements it was. <b> </b>\r\n<h4><b>TASTE?</b></h4>\r\nIt\'s pretty yummy, I have to say. Kind of a faint orange taste, just sweet enough, not too sweet. They really nailed the taste in spite of all the nutrients they crammed in...most other performance drinks I\'ve tasted are either too sweet or too bitter/chalky...I\'d drink this for taste on an off-day. Can\'t say that about other performance drinks.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-566 aligncenter\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/fitaidxfit2-300x125.jpeg\" alt=\"FitAid Promo Image\" width=\"300\" height=\"125\" />\r\n<h4><b>So How About The Run You Tried It On?</b></h4>\r\nI was kind of an idiot that day. It was an early afternoon run - I was in an awkward post-breakfast pre-lunch time and I had not eaten enough, mainly because I kept delaying my run being distracted with other things. I also found out about a mile into the run just how dehydrated I was. I felt worn out through my run, had to walk more than usual, and was kind of slow all-around.\r\n\r\n<b>FitAID is probably the only reason I finished the run.</b> It was hot, humid, and I was dehydrated and under-nourished...I shouldn\'t have been able to make it through that. I should have had to walk all the way home. Somehow, I finished. I\'m fairly certain that FitAID is the only reason I actually made it. My muscles weren\'t fatigued (Thanks FitAID) and I had the focus, drive and determination to get it done. My problems were a direct result of being so dehydrated. I had a second FitAID after finishing the run, and I have to say I felt pretty good. After having the second drink and hydrating, it was like the run never happened (in terms of negative effects)...I felt good, great recovery. <b>Chalk up a win for FitAID.</b>\r\n<b></b>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-565 aligncenter\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/fitaidxfit-300x212.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Promo Image\" width=\"300\" height=\"212\" />\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>\r\n<h4><b>FitAID During Strength Training?</b></h4>\r\nI used FitAID before my Body Beast Tempo: Chest &amp; Triceps workout. For those who don\'t know, Body Beast (by Beachbody) is a pretty intense strength training program. Tempo Chest &amp; Tri is all about the tempo with which you do the moves, up and down. You go much slower, which gives a great isolation effect on the muscle you\'re working and ends up making you feel like you\'ve REALLY hammered on that muscle. Oh, and going so slow on the reps...is <b>hard!</b> I took FitAID instead of my usual pre-workout and let me just say... <b>I Felt Like A Champ.</b> I felt the burn, I powered through the struggle, and it felt <b>great</b>.\r\n\r\nTo be honest, though, I was a little wary of going without my traditional N.O. boosting stimulant-filled pre-workout...but I felt great with FitAID! There\'s something to be said for a pre-workout without stimulants...it was a completely different feel to the workout. I wasn\'t working any harder, I was just deriving my power from somewhere else. It felt more...<b>natural</b>. Like I was more in-tune with my body. That\'s a great description of how I\'ve felt with my nutrition plan as a whole, so it\'s nice to experience that in my workout too. I had plenty of gas to get through the workout and the weight I was using didn\'t suffer for lack of N.O. / Stim-filled pre-workout. I had it after the workout as a recovery drink and y\'know what? <b>I\'m not sore today. </b>I feel like I worked out, but I\'m not sore. <b>Chalk up another win for FitAID.</b>\r\n<h4><b>So...the verdict?</b></h4>\r\nFitAID is great for runs, it\'s great for strength training...what CAN\'T this little drink do? It\'s loaded up with things your body wants, needs, craves, and even some things it might not know it needs, and there\'s <b>NOTHING </b>in it that you don\'t need or shouldn\'t have. Tastes great, designed to fuel you, and it\'s not CRAZY expensive. My recommendation? <b>Buy this.</b> No, they didn\'t pay me to say that. They just sent me a four-pack to try. Pretty brave of them, considering I could\'ve torn it apart and said it was awful. <b>They must be confident in their product</b>. Now I am too.','Review: FitAid','','publish','open','open','','review-fitaid','','','2017-01-16 19:05:27','2017-01-17 00:05:27','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=104',0,'post','',12),(578,1,'2017-01-14 00:13:39','2017-01-14 05:13:39','<b>Ladies and Gentlemen</b>, welcome to <u>my first official product review</u> - FitAid! I\'ve had so many things to talk about that I\'ve kind of just put off reviewing things, but today I have something I\'m really excited to get out there. So...without further ado...\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLet\'s talk about this little drink called FitAID. Long story short, they sent me a 4 pack to try out, I gave it a whirl, and I was very impressed. There\'s a lot to this versatile little drink - I had it before and after both a run and a strength training workout. Now that I\'ve experienced it, I\'m ready to talk about it!\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-567 alignright\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/IMG_20130812_132634_341-170x300.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Box Image\" width=\"170\" height=\"300\" />\r\n<h4>So...what\'s the deal with FitAid?</h4>\r\nFitAID is <i>not </i>an energy drink - it is a \"synergy drink\" (the company likes to be very clear on this point). The box has lots of artwork and information on it all about the benefits of the drink... including a <b>\"Paleo Friendly\"</b> stamp. I\'m going to cover the \"Paleo\" thing in a future article <em>(EDIT: 3 years later...still haven\'t covered it. whoops)</em>, but suffice it to say: it strives to remove everything \"processed\" from your life and bring things back to <u>caveman-basics</u>.\r\n\r\nAs you can well imagine, a hardcore nutrition plan like that would pretty much put the kibosh on most, if not all, pre-workout supplements and energy drinks. Paleo has more or less been adopted as the go-to nutrition plan for CrossFit (which has become massive)...so that left a <b>GAPING </b>hole in the fitness/nutrition world for someone to fill. Lo and behold - FitAID came along.\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>\r\n<h4><img class=\"wp-image-568 alignleft\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/IMG_20130812_132656_038-271x300.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Box Image\" width=\"245\" height=\"271\" /> While there are a lot of great things in this drink,</h4>\r\nwhat I think is just as important is <b>what isn\'t in it.</b> They say this product is 100% natural and they <b>mean</b> it. Right on the top of the box it lists off several things that DO NOT appear in this product: sucralose, aspartame, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, crystaline fructose, \"artificial anything\". <b>This makes me very happy, </b>and it should make YOU happy too. Why? <em>Who</em> cares? Well, for one, aspartame - an artificial sweetener - has well-known ill-effects on your health, high fructose corn syrup is just bad news, and the general lack of artificial \"anything\" is just great.\r\n\r\nThink about it - your body has to <i>do something</i> with everything you put into it. If you\'re putting artificial things into it, your body has to figure out what to do with it - <b>our bodies aren\'t designed to process artificial things...we force our body to do it. </b>Many of these artificial things we put in our body on a regular basis end up hanging out for a while. Ever hear of someone doing a \"detox\"? More often than not, they\'re trying to flush the remnants of these artificial things out. <b>How about we just don\'t introduce them into our bodies in the first place.</b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4><b>So let\'s talk about what IS in FitAID.</b></h4>\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-569 alignright\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/IMG_20130812_133025_495-300x227.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Box Sidepanel\" width=\"300\" height=\"227\" />It\'s pretty important to understand what exactly is <b>in</b> this drink that\'s helping to power you through your workout, and helping your recovery after. There\'s a pretty big range of ingredients in here! There are electrolytes and vitamins (like many other drinks contain), there are lots of amino acids (including L-Glutamine, which is HUGELY important for muscle recovery), and there are other things such as glucosamine, tumeric, CoQ-10, bilberry...some of these aren\'t things you generally see in a \"fitness drink\" or a \"pre/post workout drink\", but they are part of an overall supplementation picture that FitAID is going for.</div>\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\">These ingredients support flexibility, joint health, cardiovascular health, balance, provide antioxidants to your body...I\'ve never seen such an all-encompassing range of body-health ingredients in a drink! Check out the label below:</div>\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"> <img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-572\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/91YkeZO8FoL._SL1500_-277x300.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Supplement Facts Label\" width=\"277\" height=\"300\" /></div>\r\n<b>Remember how I mentioned there\'s no </b>aspartame, sucralose, HFCS, etc? <b>So it tastes awful, right?</b> <u>No</u>. It actually tastes really good. <b>How, you ask?</b> It\'s sweetened with Blue Agave Nectar...just 9 grams of all-natural sweetening in this thing. 45 calories total in the drink. Pretty awesome if you ask me.\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>\r\n<h4><b>Actual Experience With The Drink Please? </b></h4>\r\n<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-570 alignright\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/IMG_20130821_115725_432-170x300.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Poured\" width=\"170\" height=\"300\" /><u>Take a look at that drink.</u> That\'s right after pouring it into the glass. <em>(Yes, you\'re meant to drink it from the can, I just did it to see the color, carbonation and clarity.)</em> That fizz died down pretty quickly - FitAID is very lightly carbonated to aid with absorption of all the supplements in it. The yellow/orange color is simply a result of the ingredients - there are NO artificial OR natural things added in order to color it. No dyes, no beet juice, no nothing. That\'s just what color it ended up being.\r\n\r\nIf you look closely, you\'ll notice its not crystal clear...it\'s kind of \"cloudy\". The company actually talks about this on its site, saying this is because it\'s so packed with supplements - 2343 mg of supplements and active ingredients, to be exact. They challenge you to ask why other sports performance drinks <b>aren\'t</b> cloudy (they\'re implying its because other drinks aren\'t packed with good stuff, in case you were wondering).\r\n<h4>One of the things FitAID is clear on...</h4>\r\n...is how large an amount of supplements is actually crammed into this little 12 oz can. Most vitamin drinks and sports performance drinks have relatively trace amounts of these things. The levels of concentration in FitAID makes it something you can take before an intense workout and <b>actually feel confident you\'re getting a boost. </b>This drink was designed by former athletes to power people through CrossFit - if it\'s good enough for them it\'s good enough for ANY workout. <b> In case you were worried - </b>there was no sediment in there...while it WAS cloudy, there was nothing floating, no sediment, and nothing separated out...it really was just cloudy because of how saturated with supplements it was. <b> </b>\r\n<h4><b>TASTE?</b></h4>\r\nIt\'s pretty yummy, I have to say. Kind of a faint orange taste, just sweet enough, not too sweet. They really nailed the taste in spite of all the nutrients they crammed in...most other performance drinks I\'ve tasted are either too sweet or too bitter/chalky...I\'d drink this for taste on an off-day. Can\'t say that about other performance drinks.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-566 aligncenter\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/fitaidxfit2-300x125.jpeg\" alt=\"FitAid Promo Image\" width=\"300\" height=\"125\" />\r\n<h4><b>So How About The Run You Tried It On?</b></h4>\r\nI was kind of an idiot that day. It was an early afternoon run - I was in an awkward post-breakfast pre-lunch time and I had not eaten enough, mainly because I kept delaying my run being distracted with other things. I also found out about a mile into the run just how dehydrated I was. I felt worn out through my run, had to walk more than usual, and was kind of slow all-around.\r\n\r\n<b>FitAID is probably the only reason I finished the run.</b> It was hot, humid, and I was dehydrated and under-nourished...I shouldn\'t have been able to make it through that. I should have had to walk all the way home. Somehow, I finished. I\'m fairly certain that FitAID is the only reason I actually made it. My muscles weren\'t fatigued (Thanks FitAID) and I had the focus, drive and determination to get it done. My problems were a direct result of being so dehydrated. I had a second FitAID after finishing the run, and I have to say I felt pretty good. After having the second drink and hydrating, it was like the run never happened (in terms of negative effects)...I felt good, great recovery. <b>Chalk up a win for FitAID.</b>\r\n<b></b>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-565 aligncenter\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/fitaidxfit-300x212.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Promo Image\" width=\"300\" height=\"212\" />\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>\r\n<h4><b>FitAID During Strength Training?</b></h4>\r\nI used FitAID before my Body Beast Tempo: Chest &amp; Triceps workout. For those who don\'t know, Body Beast (by Beachbody) is a pretty intense strength training program. Tempo Chest &amp; Tri is all about the tempo with which you do the moves, up and down. You go much slower, which gives a great isolation effect on the muscle you\'re working and ends up making you feel like you\'ve REALLY hammered on that muscle. Oh, and going so slow on the reps...is <b>hard!</b> I took FitAID instead of my usual pre-workout and let me just say... <b>I Felt Like A Champ.</b> I felt the burn, I powered through the struggle, and it felt <b>great</b>.\r\n\r\nTo be honest, though, I was a little wary of going without my traditional N.O. boosting stimulant-filled pre-workout...but I felt great with FitAID! There\'s something to be said for a pre-workout without stimulants...it was a completely different feel to the workout. I wasn\'t working any harder, I was just deriving my power from somewhere else. It felt more...<b>natural</b>. Like I was more in-tune with my body. That\'s a great description of how I\'ve felt with my nutrition plan as a whole, so it\'s nice to experience that in my workout too. I had plenty of gas to get through the workout and the weight I was using didn\'t suffer for lack of N.O. / Stim-filled pre-workout. I had it after the workout as a recovery drink and y\'know what? <b>I\'m not sore today. </b>I feel like I worked out, but I\'m not sore. <b>Chalk up another win for FitAID.</b>\r\n<h4><b>So...the verdict?</b></h4>\r\nFitAID is great for runs, it\'s great for strength training...what CAN\'T this little drink do? It\'s loaded up with things your body wants, needs, craves, and even some things it might not know it needs, and there\'s <b>NOTHING </b>in it that you don\'t need or shouldn\'t have. Tastes great, designed to fuel you, and it\'s not CRAZY expensive. My recommendation? <b>Buy this.</b> No, they didn\'t pay me to say that. They just sent me a four-pack to try. Pretty brave of them, considering I could\'ve torn it apart and said it was awful. <b>They must be confident in their product</b>. Now I am too.','Review: FitAid','','inherit','closed','closed','','104-revision-v1','','','2017-01-14 00:13:39','2017-01-14 05:13:39','',104,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/01/104-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(574,1,'2017-01-14 00:00:02','2017-01-14 05:00:02','<b>Ladies and Gentlemen</b>, welcome to <u>my first official product review</u> - FitAid! I\'ve had so many things to talk about that I\'ve kind of just put off reviewing things, but today I have something I\'m really excited to get out there. So...without further ado...\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-564 aligncenter\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/FitAID-logo--300x76.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Logo\" width=\"300\" height=\"76\" />\r\n\r\nLet\'s talk about this little drink called FitAID. Long story short, they sent me a 4 pack to try out, I gave it a whirl, and I was very impressed. There\'s a lot to this versatile little drink - I had it before and after both a run and a strength training workout. Now that I\'ve experienced it, I\'m ready to talk about it!\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-567 alignright\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/IMG_20130812_132634_341-170x300.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Box Image\" width=\"170\" height=\"300\" />\r\n<h4>So...what\'s the deal with FitAid?</h4>\r\nFitAID is <i>not </i>an energy drink - it is a \"synergy drink\" (the company likes to be very clear on this point). The box has lots of artwork and information on it all about the benefits of the drink... including a <b>\"Paleo Friendly\"</b> stamp. I\'m going to cover the \"Paleo\" thing in a future article <em>(EDIT: 3 years later...still haven\'t covered it. whoops)</em>, but suffice it to say: it strives to remove everything \"processed\" from your life and bring things back to <u>caveman-basics</u>.\r\n\r\nAs you can well imagine, a hardcore nutrition plan like that would pretty much put the kibosh on most, if not all, pre-workout supplements and energy drinks. Paleo has more or less been adopted as the go-to nutrition plan for CrossFit (which has become massive)...so that left a <b>GAPING </b>hole in the fitness/nutrition world for someone to fill. Lo and behold - FitAID came along.\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>\r\n<h4><img class=\"wp-image-568 alignleft\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/IMG_20130812_132656_038-271x300.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Box Image\" width=\"245\" height=\"271\" /> While there are a lot of great things in this drink,</h4>\r\nwhat I think is just as important is <b>what isn\'t in it.</b> They say this product is 100% natural and they <b>mean</b> it. Right on the top of the box it lists off several things that DO NOT appear in this product: sucralose, aspartame, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, crystaline fructose, \"artificial anything\". <b>This makes me very happy, </b>and it should make YOU happy too. Why? <em>Who</em> cares? Well, for one, aspartame - an artificial sweetener - has well-known ill-effects on your health, high fructose corn syrup is just bad news, and the general lack of artificial \"anything\" is just great.\r\n\r\nThink about it - your body has to <i>do something</i> with everything you put into it. If you\'re putting artificial things into it, your body has to figure out what to do with it - <b>our bodies aren\'t designed to process artificial things...we force our body to do it. </b>Many of these artificial things we put in our body on a regular basis end up hanging out for a while. Ever hear of someone doing a \"detox\"? More often than not, they\'re trying to flush the remnants of these artificial things out. <b>How about we just don\'t introduce them into our bodies in the first place.</b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4><b>So let\'s talk about what IS in FitAID.</b></h4>\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-569 alignright\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/IMG_20130812_133025_495-300x227.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Box Sidepanel\" width=\"300\" height=\"227\" />It\'s pretty important to understand what exactly is <b>in</b> this drink that\'s helping to power you through your workout, and helping your recovery after. There\'s a pretty big range of ingredients in here! There are electrolytes and vitamins (like many other drinks contain), there are lots of amino acids (including L-Glutamine, which is HUGELY important for muscle recovery), and there are other things such as glucosamine, tumeric, CoQ-10, bilberry...some of these aren\'t things you generally see in a \"fitness drink\" or a \"pre/post workout drink\", but they are part of an overall supplementation picture that FitAID is going for.</div>\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\">These ingredients support flexibility, joint health, cardiovascular health, balance, provide antioxidants to your body...I\'ve never seen such an all-encompassing range of body-health ingredients in a drink! Check out the label below:</div>\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"> <img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-572\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/91YkeZO8FoL._SL1500_-277x300.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Supplement Facts Label\" width=\"277\" height=\"300\" /></div>\r\n<b>Remember how I mentioned there\'s no </b>aspartame, sucralose, HFCS, etc? <b>So it tastes awful, right?</b> <u>No</u>. It actually tastes really good. <b>How, you ask?</b> It\'s sweetened with Blue Agave Nectar...just 9 grams of all-natural sweetening in this thing. 45 calories total in the drink. Pretty awesome if you ask me.\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>\r\n<h4><b>Actual Experience With The Drink Please? </b></h4>\r\n<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-570 alignright\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/IMG_20130821_115725_432-170x300.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Poured\" width=\"170\" height=\"300\" /><u>Take a look at that drink.</u> That\'s right after pouring it into the glass. <em>(Yes, you\'re meant to drink it from the can, I just did it to see the color, carbonation and clarity.)</em> That fizz died down pretty quickly - FitAID is very lightly carbonated to aid with absorption of all the supplements in it. The yellow/orange color is simply a result of the ingredients - there are NO artificial OR natural things added in order to color it. No dyes, no beet juice, no nothing. That\'s just what color it ended up being.\r\n\r\nIf you look closely, you\'ll notice its not crystal clear...it\'s kind of \"cloudy\". The company actually talks about this on its site, saying this is because it\'s so packed with supplements - 2343 mg of supplements and active ingredients, to be exact. They challenge you to ask why other sports performance drinks <b>aren\'t</b> cloudy (they\'re implying its because other drinks aren\'t packed with good stuff, in case you were wondering).\r\n<h4>One of the things FitAID is clear on...</h4>\r\n...is how large an amount of supplements is actually crammed into this little 12 oz can. Most vitamin drinks and sports performance drinks have relatively trace amounts of these things. The levels of concentration in FitAID makes it something you can take before an intense workout and <b>actually feel confident you\'re getting a boost. </b>This drink was designed by former athletes to power people through CrossFit - if it\'s good enough for them it\'s good enough for ANY workout. <b> In case you were worried - </b>there was no sediment in there...while it WAS cloudy, there was nothing floating, no sediment, and nothing separated out...it really was just cloudy because of how saturated with supplements it was. <b> </b>\r\n<h4><b>TASTE?</b></h4>\r\nIt\'s pretty yummy, I have to say. Kind of a faint orange taste, just sweet enough, not too sweet. They really nailed the taste in spite of all the nutrients they crammed in...most other performance drinks I\'ve tasted are either too sweet or too bitter/chalky...I\'d drink this for taste on an off-day. Can\'t say that about other performance drinks.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-566 aligncenter\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/fitaidxfit2-300x125.jpeg\" alt=\"FitAid Promo Image\" width=\"300\" height=\"125\" />\r\n<h4><b>So How About The Run You Tried It On?</b></h4>\r\nI was kind of an idiot that day. It was an early afternoon run - I was in an awkward post-breakfast pre-lunch time and I had not eaten enough, mainly because I kept delaying my run being distracted with other things. I also found out about a mile into the run just how dehydrated I was. I felt worn out through my run, had to walk more than usual, and was kind of slow all-around.\r\n\r\n<b>FitAID is probably the only reason I finished the run.</b> It was hot, humid, and I was dehydrated and under-nourished...I shouldn\'t have been able to make it through that. I should have had to walk all the way home. Somehow, I finished. I\'m fairly certain that FitAID is the only reason I actually made it. My muscles weren\'t fatigued (Thanks FitAID) and I had the focus, drive and determination to get it done. My problems were a direct result of being so dehydrated. I had a second FitAID after finishing the run, and I have to say I felt pretty good. After having the second drink and hydrating, it was like the run never happened (in terms of negative effects)...I felt good, great recovery. <b>Chalk up a win for FitAID.</b>\r\n<b></b>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-565 aligncenter\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/fitaidxfit-300x212.jpg\" alt=\"FitAid Promo Image\" width=\"300\" height=\"212\" />\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>\r\n<h4><b>FitAID During Strength Training?</b></h4>\r\nI used FitAID before my Body Beast Tempo: Chest &amp; Triceps workout. For those who don\'t know, Body Beast (by Beachbody) is a pretty intense strength training program. Tempo Chest &amp; Tri is all about the tempo with which you do the moves, up and down. You go much slower, which gives a great isolation effect on the muscle you\'re working and ends up making you feel like you\'ve REALLY hammered on that muscle. Oh, and going so slow on the reps...is <b>hard!</b> I took FitAID instead of my usual pre-workout and let me just say... <b>I Felt Like A Champ.</b> I felt the burn, I powered through the struggle, and it felt <b>great</b>.\r\n\r\nTo be honest, though, I was a little wary of going without my traditional N.O. boosting stimulant-filled pre-workout...but I felt great with FitAID! There\'s something to be said for a pre-workout without stimulants...it was a completely different feel to the workout. I wasn\'t working any harder, I was just deriving my power from somewhere else. It felt more...<b>natural</b>. Like I was more in-tune with my body. That\'s a great description of how I\'ve felt with my nutrition plan as a whole, so it\'s nice to experience that in my workout too. I had plenty of gas to get through the workout and the weight I was using didn\'t suffer for lack of N.O. / Stim-filled pre-workout. I had it after the workout as a recovery drink and y\'know what? <b>I\'m not sore today. </b>I feel like I worked out, but I\'m not sore. <b>Chalk up another win for FitAID.</b>\r\n<h4>\r\n<b>So...the verdict?</b></h4>\r\nFitAID is great for runs, it\'s great for strength training...what CAN\'T this little drink do? It\'s loaded up with things your body wants, needs, craves, and even some things it might not know it needs, and there\'s <b>NOTHING </b>in it that you don\'t need or shouldn\'t have. Tastes great, designed to fuel you, and it\'s not CRAZY expensive. My recommendation? <b>Buy this.</b> No, they didn\'t pay me to say that. They just sent me a four-pack to try. Pretty brave of them, considering I could\'ve torn it apart and said it was awful. <b>They must be confident in their product</b>. Now I am too.','Review: FitAid','','inherit','closed','closed','','104-revision-v1','','','2017-01-14 00:00:02','2017-01-14 05:00:02','',104,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/01/104-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(105,1,'2013-09-01 13:21:00','2013-09-01 17:21:00','<a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/getting-things-in-mocean-running-update.html\" target=\"_blank\">Yesterday I talked about</a> how <a href=\"http://www.moceancapecod.com/\" target=\"_blank\">MOCEAN Cape Cod</a> went above and beyond in their sponsorship and helped me get into <a href=\"http://www.capecod4thetroops.com/upcoming_events.html\" target=\"_blank\">a second race</a>. Today, I have more news on the same topic....<b>two more runs have been added to the calendar!</b>\r\n\r\nPeople are really responding to this campaign I\'m putting forth. The more people and businesses I talk to, the more people want to back me and help me do this thing. It\'s great to have support in an endeavor such as this, and it\'s nice to know there\'s people out there that care about people getting healthy as much as I do. As far as I\'m concerned, being able to raise money for charity while doing all that is icing on the cake.\r\n\r\n<b>SO, two more runs in preparation for the half-marathon. </b>What are they? And who\'s backing me to run them? <!--more--><b>I\'m being backed by Flex Appeal Sports Nutrition </b>in Burlington, MA.\r\n<a style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\" href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rysYNzjO38c/UiHVaoOS-mI/AAAAAAAABZU/l8BLboov9Ws/s1600/flex+appeal.jpg\"><img src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rysYNzjO38c/UiHVaoOS-mI/AAAAAAAABZU/l8BLboov9Ws/s400/flex+appeal.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" border=\"0\" /></a>They\'re a hidden gem in Burlington, MA. I actually never even knew they were there until last week. We had just left the Used Book Superstore and took a wrong turn...Megan spotted them in the plaza I was using to turn around. We decided to take a look and were greeted by a fully stocked little store. They\'ve got <b>everything</b> broken down on the shelves by category (and labeled), and they\'ve got a good selection of protein, bars, cookies, etc. I was listening to the clerk talking to people about different things and he was <b>incredibly</b> knowledgable, and my favorite part - <b>they don\'t make commission there. </b>I CANNOT overstate the importance of that. Employees of big chain nutrition stores, like GNC, make commission on certain products. Of course, they\'re going to want to sell those products, so the opinions and advice they give you is skewed...and frankly I feel like I can never trust an employee\'s advice when I go into one of those stores. Smaller, local stores like Flex Appeal...with NO COMMISSION, are <b>great. </b>I know I\'m getting an honest recommendation. If you\'re in the Burlington area (or anywhere close) check them out (282 Cambridge St.)! I\'m pretty sure they\'ve got a store in Medford too. You can check them out online at www.flexappealsportsnutrition.com\r\n\r\n<b>So what about these races you mentioned?</b>\r\n\r\n<b>I know, </b>I went on for a minute there...but I think it\'s important to recognize and thank the people that help you along the journey. <b>SO - these races </b>they backed me for...there\'s TWO of them! I\'ll go in chronological order:\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\" href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3NQrgcv5vI/UiHYi1aAp_I/AAAAAAAABZo/vP7Ir_HA5So/s1600/tavern+to+tavern+5k.png\"><img src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3NQrgcv5vI/UiHYi1aAp_I/AAAAAAAABZo/vP7Ir_HA5So/s400/tavern+to+tavern+5k.png\" width=\"400\" height=\"131\" border=\"0\" /></a></div>\r\n<h4><b>9/22/13 - Tavern to Tavern 5K in Cambridge, MA</b></h4>\r\nOh boy oh boy...this looks like a fun one!\r\n<b></b>\r\n\r\n<b>So basically </b>you start this race at the Tavern In Porter Square, go out, do a loop and come back to the Tavern In Porter Square. Then there\'s beer. Who doesn\'t love beer after a race? It\'s recovery carbs (that\'s my story and I\'m sticking to it). Your registration fee for this race benefits Cambridge Rindge &amp; Latin Track and Field, so once again your entry fee is going to a good cause (isn\'t that nice?). The website says the course is flat and fast, meaning (perhaps obviously) there\'s no hills to contend with so you can turn it up and zoom along. I\'m pretty excited - this one looks like a lot of fun...and since it\'s an out-and-back course with the start/finish in the same place, if Megan doesn\'t run it with me she can be there to see me both start <b>and</b> finish...we don\'t have to pick! That was one of the most annoying things with the Falmouth Road Race - my parents trying to decide where they were gonna be...they wanted to see me running, but they wanted to see me finish (they ended up getting some prime real estate right near the finish line). <b>And the other race?</b>\r\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\" href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8mjed6yfWiQ/UiM6-CDXdgI/AAAAAAAABZ4/HJY_tRjPd3Y/s1600/BF10KMRR_logo_large.jpg\"><img src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8mjed6yfWiQ/UiM6-CDXdgI/AAAAAAAABZ4/HJY_tRjPd3Y/s320/BF10KMRR_logo_large.jpg\" width=\"320\" height=\"320\" border=\"0\" /></a></div>\r\n<b>10/20/13 - <a href=\"http://www.bostonfirefighters10k.com/\" target=\"_blank\">31st Annual Boston Firefighters\' Local 718 Memorial Road Race 10K</a> in Dorchester, MA</b>\r\n\r\nBoy, that was a mouthful! This one, I have to say, looks pretty awesome as well. The race is run in memory of Boston Firefighters who gave their lives in the line of duty. According to the website, the event raises money for various charities and helps fund scholarships. It also looks like they make this a pretty big event with a sizable celebration afterwards. The course is described on the site as follows: \"A 10k (6.2 miles) USATF certified course that is fast and flat, with a great ocean view, strict course security, and electronic timing with mile splits.\". <b>Sounds good to me!</b>\r\n\r\nBest part is, considering this race is six days before the half-marathon, it\'s at a perfect time to be my last \"long\" run beforehand! Crazy to think, though, that I don\'t consider 6 miles a \"long\" run anymore; 3 miles is short, 5 or 6 is average, and 10+ is long. Can\'t wait for 10 to be average!\r\n\r\n<b>So That\'s Where I\'m At For The Next Two Months</b>\r\n\r\nI don\'t think I\'m going to be adding any more races to my calendar - I think that\'s plenty for now. Between fundraising efforts (I\'m already brainstorming events), endurance training, my regular workouts and work...I think I\'ll be plenty busy! <b> </b>I\'m so excited to have the opportunity to run all these races and even more excited to be able to raise money for the V Foundation as a part of running them! If you\'re going to be at any of these races, give me a shout and we can say hi at the finish!\r\n\r\n<b>Let this serve as a lesson - </b>with enough determination and perseverance <b>anything is possible</b>. <b>The only limit is the one YOU set for <i>yourself</i>. </b>','2 Months, 4 Runs, One Great Cause','','publish','open','open','','2-months-4-runs-one-great-cause','','','2017-01-18 06:26:13','2017-01-18 11:26:13','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=105',0,'post','',0),(106,1,'2013-08-30 11:58:00','2013-08-30 15:58:00','A lot has happened in the last sixteen days. In order to make fundraising for The V Foundation possible I\'ve been hitting the pavement hard in search of sponsors for <a href=\" http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/on-to-the-next-one-13-1.html\" target=\"_blank\">my big half-marathon run</a>. I\'m happy to say...I\'ve been incredibly successful! I\'ve been floored by the outpouring of support and by all the businesses who have responded to my story and have committed to sponsoring me! I want to recognize and thank all of my sponsors and talk about how some of them have gone a step further to support me, but I can\'t do ALL of that in one post...it\'d be too long and you\'d get bored.&nbsp; Instead, let\'s talk about one particular addition to what\'s becoming <b>two months of training and races</b>.<br /><br /><b>Those who have been reading</b> \"So THIS Is Fitness...\" know that Sportclips is the title sponsor for my half-marathon run. I called that the \"platinum level\" sponsor. I have also been seeking Gold and Silver level sponsors. One of the Gold level sponsors I\'ve secured went a step further and, among other things, went beyond the \"Gold\" level, allowing me to register for another race in preparation for the half-marathon! <b>That\'s awesome! </b>What race? Who did it?<br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xwqUQpmiSgA/UiANlyusqwI/AAAAAAAABY0/bGSP2Wyd-94/s1600/Mocean-Logo-22-300x102.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"135\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xwqUQpmiSgA/UiANlyusqwI/AAAAAAAABY0/bGSP2Wyd-94/s400/Mocean-Logo-22-300x102.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><a href=\"http://moceancapecod.com/\" target=\"_blank\">MOCEAN Cape Cod</a>! <b>That\'s </b>who. I poked my head in to the store one day (in Mashpee Commons, by the way), had a GREAT conversation with Ryan, the owner, and he seemed really into the blog, my story, and what I was trying to do. He threw out a lot of great ideas and hopefully late in September or early October we\'ll be able to hold a fundraising event at his store (as long as I can think one up!). He was so into everything I\'ve got going on with this that he not only signed on to be a Gold sponsor for the half-marathon, but he\'s now the title (Platinum) sponsor for another run! How excited do you think I am to add in another run to this little campaign? Yeah. So, what run is this?<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c4lueAHLlYw/UiCBA91nvPI/AAAAAAAABZE/dHx7ZaSYyPk/s1600/capecod4troops.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"240\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c4lueAHLlYw/UiCBA91nvPI/AAAAAAAABZE/dHx7ZaSYyPk/s320/capecod4troops.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><b>The 5th Annual Canal Run For The Troops 10K</b><br /><br />October 5th, at 10 am, I\'ll be starting what promises to be a beautiful run along the Cape Cod Canal. What a great way to spend day 2 of my birthday weekend! Turn 25 one day, go run a 10K the next. Works for me<br /><br />This run is put on by a great little organization called <a href=\"http://www.capecod4thetroops.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Cape Cod Cares For Our Troops</a>, headquartered in Brewster. I poked around their website, and they actually do a lot for Cape-based troops. You should check out their site (linked above).<br /><br /><b>There\'s something I\'d like to point out about road races:</b><br /><br />One of the nice things many people don\'t realize is that when you sign up for a road race like this, where an organization is putting it on, your entry fee isn\'t just helping to pay for the running of the event itself - <b>your entry fee is a donation to the organization</b> and the (presumably) good work it\'s doing. They plan to use the money raised from this run to send 1500 Christmas care packages to our troops deployed overseas. <b>Seems like a worthy cause to me.</b> Maybe one will make it to my cousin Joshua, <i>who knows</i>. <br /><br /><b>This Is Only Going To Continue Growing!</b><br /><br /><b>That\'s not the only run </b>I have the privilege of adding to my little campaign here, but I\'ll save the rest for another update. I\'m so excited at what this is turning into, so happy at the outpouring of support, and I can\'t wait to really get rolling with this! I want to send a BIG thanks out to Ryan and his crew at MOCEAN in Mashpee. You can find them in the Mashpee Commons at 34 Steeple St., <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/MOCEANCAPECOD\" target=\"_blank\">on Facebook here</a>, and <a href=\"http://www.moceancapecod.com/\" target=\"_blank\">at their website here</a>.<br /><br />I\'ve got about two weeks until the <b>real</b> training starts. Once I get all the sponsors lined up and confirmed I\'ll get everything in order for fundraising, which will probably happen about the same time I start some serious half-marathon training! Keep an eye out for the next update - it\'ll probably be about the other runs I\'m adding in!<br /><br /><b>If there\'s one thing you learn from this</b> - let it be that anything is possible. In March I had never run before, <b>now I\'m sponsored for four races</b>. Wait...did I say four? You\'ll have to find out about the other two next time ;-) Don\'t forget to <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\" target=\"_blank\">\"like\" the Facebook</a> and <a href=\"https://twitter.com/SnuffyDX\" target=\"_blank\">follow the Twitter </a>- I post more frequent updates there - you might get some cool insider info!','Getting things in MOCEAN - Running Update!','','publish','open','open','','getting-things-in-mocean-running-update','','','2017-01-21 09:03:04','2017-01-21 14:03:04','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=106',0,'post','',0),(107,1,'2013-08-26 13:43:00','2013-08-26 17:43:00','Let\'s have a little talk about <b>-Haters-</b>.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-80WmeXeDx6M/UhtMBo-Un6I/AAAAAAAABYI/i88hlw2LLJQ/s1600/hatersgonnahatethumb.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"225\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-80WmeXeDx6M/UhtMBo-Un6I/AAAAAAAABYI/i88hlw2LLJQ/s400/hatersgonnahatethumb.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><br />We all know what haters are. We all probably <b>know</b> some haters too. Odds are, many of you out there might even <b>have</b> haters of your <i>very own!</i> I\'ll go ahead and say that 90% or more of the haters out there are the people I\'m talking about in this post. Up to 10% might have a legitimate reason for hating...maybe. For the purposes of this article, let\'s assume we\'re talking about the 90% that I\'m about to describe.<br /><br />Ultimately, I have to say..<b>.I don\'t hate haters.</b> If you think about it the way I do...you can\'t help but love them just because of their very nature.<b> </b>Haters are <b>important! </b>Just not for the reason they wish they were. On this Motivational Monday morning, I think its time to talk about <b>the haters.</b><br /><br /><b>What drives a hater? What do Haters...hate? Why?</b><br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br />So, before we go on...you might be wondering what exactly I mean by \"hate\". <b>What does it mean to be \"hated on\"?</b> How does someone \"hate on\" you?<br /><br />Think back to elementary school, middle school...yes even high school. The haters will <b>make fun of you. </b>The haters will <b>belittle you and your achievements. </b>The haters will try to <b>recruit others </b>to their side to make you feel like you\'re <b>all alone</b>. The haters will <b>bully you </b>and <b>badmouth you. </b>Haters will <b>spread rumors </b>about you. They\'ll try to make you feel like everything you\'re doing <b>doesn\'t matter </b>and no matter what you do, in the end you\'re <b>just a loser</b> wasting their time. <br /><br />If you\'ve seen people getting \"hated on\", you\'ve probably wondered what that person did to \"deserve it\". If <b>you\'re</b> getting \"hated on\" yourself, its probably bothering you that you <b>don\'t know why</b>! I\'m going to make this REALLY simple:<br /><br /><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Haters Hate Your Success&nbsp;</span></b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-76T_sSFFaFU/UhtNkxLQqwI/AAAAAAAABYU/lYjvob5e8hw/s1600/hatersmeme.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-76T_sSFFaFU/UhtNkxLQqwI/AAAAAAAABYU/lYjvob5e8hw/s320/hatersmeme.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><b>Yes. It really is that simple.</b> Haters are <b>bitter</b>. Haters are <b>jealous</b>. Haters see in <b>you</b> a reflection of everything they wish <b>they</b> were. Haters want to be able to achieve what <b>you</b> have achieved. Have you lost weight recently? <b>Your hater feels fat.</b> Have you run a race? <b>Your hater wishes they could run. </b>Your hater DID run that race? <b>You got a better time than them</b>. I\'m sure you get the point.<br /><br />I know this seems really childish and like something that belongs in grade school...but it\'s the unfortunate truth. Rather than celebrate your successes with you the haters try to wash it away and put you down. Rather than try to improve themselves and work on their shortcomings, they focus their energy on <b>bringing. you. down</b>.<br /><br />But <b>why?</b><br /><br /><b>Because the haters can\'t be bothered to do the work.</b><br /><br />Haters are often people who suffer from things like <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/the-i-dont-feel-like-it-syndrome.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"The I Don\'t Feel Like It Syndrome\"</a>.<b> </b>Maybe <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/defeating-demotivators-1-the-fear-monster.html\" target=\"_blank\">The Fear Monster</a> has them in it\'s grasp. <b>Maybe </b>they\'ve got a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/why-workouts-fail-1-the-napoleon-complex.html\" target=\"_blank\">Napoleon Complex</a> or <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/why-workouts-fail-2-the-scale.html\" target=\"_blank\">The Scale </a>discouraged them so badly they just can\'t bring themselves to try anymore. <b>Maybe they\'re lost in <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/america-the-fat.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"America The Fat\"</a>. Or perhaps </b>they just can\'t drum up the<a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/conquer-the-truth-about-motivation.html\" target=\"_blank\"> motivation</a> to get it done. Whatever the reason...<b>SOMETHING</b> is keeping the haters from getting what they want and being happy, and it\'s everything that <b>YOU </b>have managed to work past to reach your successes and keep on going. <b>That makes your haters very mad</b>. It <b>frustrates them</b>. People often get angry or begin to <b>hate </b>what frustrates them or what they can\'t understand.<b> </b>So since the hater can\'t get past whatever it is stopping them...the mindset becomes toxic.<br /><br /><b>If the hater can\'t have success, neither can you!</b><br /><br /><b>THAT,</b> in a nutshell, is why haters hate. If the hater can\'t be happy...if the hater can\'t lose weight...if the hater can\'t run a race, get an A+, get a girlfriend, get a promotion...<b>neither should you</b>. They <b>hate</b> seeing you get what they want. That\'s why they hate on you and try to bring you down - <b>they\'re trying to make you quit</b>.&nbsp;<b> </b>But <b>this </b>is why I <b>love </b>haters.<br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Haters let you know you\'re doing a good job</b></span><br /><br />Honestly, the more hate I\'m catching...the harder my haters are hating, the <b>better</b> I must be doing. If they\'re hating on me <b>that much harder</b> then I <i>must </i>be making <b>that much greater</b> of an achievement. THAT is why I said haters are so important - <b>haters are your success meter!</b> Don\'t let them drag you down or discourage you - rather, let your haters <b>be encouragement</b> to go harder. See <b>how much</b> you can make the haters <b>hate </b>you. I\'d like to hope that eventually they\'ll either <b>give up hating</b> or start backing you, but it could very well be the case that they just <b>can\'t get past</b> whatever their own problem is...and they\'ll just keep on hating. <b>So what. Let them hate. </b>Just remember what it means.<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rdYuObL40sc/UhtT3ipSrDI/AAAAAAAABYk/ibm6uS1uZFE/s1600/tumblr_md5tvm53DT1qmp520o1_500.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"292\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rdYuObL40sc/UhtT3ipSrDI/AAAAAAAABYk/ibm6uS1uZFE/s400/tumblr_md5tvm53DT1qmp520o1_500.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><br />By <b>continuing to do what you\'re doing </b>you\'re sending a message to your haters:<br /><br /><b>Your Opinion Does Not Matter. </b><br /><br />Your continued success and your positive attitude lets the haters know that <b>they are powerless to stop you.</b> In the end, you should probably <b>take pity on your haters - </b>they <b>wish</b> they could do what you\'re doing but they can\'t beat their own roadblocks. They <b>can\'t plow through </b>like you have and get down the road to success.&nbsp; <br /><br /><b>Sucks to suck.&nbsp;</b><br /><br />So next time someone starts hating on you or trying to bring you down...<b>just smile at them, </b>walk away, and know that <b>you </b>are what someone else wishes they could be. <b>Don\'t let the haters get you down or stop you - let them push you and encourage you </b>to keep achieving new heights. <b>Don\'t be afraid </b>to post those <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">before &amp; after pictures</a>. Don\'t be afraid to <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">talk about how you got where you are.</a><br /><br /><b>Don\'t be afraid to keep becoming a better you. </b>\"Haters gonna hate\".<br /><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Let \'em. </b></span>','Haters','','publish','open','open','','haters','','','2017-01-20 16:46:25','2017-01-20 21:46:25','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=107',0,'post','',0),(108,1,'2013-08-23 01:01:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','','So THIS Is Nutrition - The Big Three','','draft','open','open','','','','','2013-08-23 01:01:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=108',0,'post','',0),(109,1,'2013-08-23 01:00:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','','Why Workouts Fail #4 - Habit and Change','','draft','open','open','','','','','2013-08-23 01:00:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=109',0,'post','',0),(110,1,'2013-08-23 01:00:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','','Defeating Demotivators - Perceived Lack Of Results','','draft','open','open','','','','','2013-08-23 01:00:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=110',0,'post','',0),(111,1,'2013-08-23 00:57:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','','Bulking and Cutting','','draft','open','open','','','','','2013-08-23 00:57:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=111',0,'post','',0),(112,1,'2013-08-21 21:31:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','','The Fat Story','','draft','open','open','','','','','2013-08-21 21:31:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=112',0,'post','',0),(113,1,'2013-08-21 15:18:00','2013-08-21 19:18:00','<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A8n99vhRQcg/UhSlDm5MViI/AAAAAAAABWg/QjTQLWq4hWM/s1600/e-bk-easy-readers-04goldilocks-pic3-anim.gif\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A8n99vhRQcg/UhSlDm5MViI/AAAAAAAABWg/QjTQLWq4hWM/s1600/e-bk-easy-readers-04goldilocks-pic3-anim.gif\" /></a></div><br />I thought I was pretty original with this one, but apparently some scientists thought they were clever too...so I guess I have to be specific in my title. I\'m sure you\'re all familiar with the story of Goldilocks, right? Goldilocks and the three bears, three of everything, one was always too cold/little, one was too hot/big, and one was just right? Yeah...today, think of us - the American People, as Goldilocks. Forewarning - this is, to some degree, going to piggyback off of <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/america-the-fat.html\" target=\"_blank\">America The Fat</a>, so having read that might help you understand where I\'m coming from with some of this.<br /><br />The problem we face in our society and our culture today is - we can\'t find \"just right\" like Goldilocks did.<br /><a name=\'more\'></a>That\'s not necessarily all our fault either...we aren\'t generally <i>encouraged</i> to find \"just right\". Instead, we\'re told to pursue \"too small\" or \"too big\".<br />Look at the media, at TV, at movies, at society in general...everything we see either encourages us to be (what <b>I consider</b>) too skinny or tells us that being fat is OK. The examples of \"fat being OK\" are glaringly obvious and easy to see (my opinion) as its <b>thrown in our faces </b>to make those who are fat feel better, but the \"too skinny\" message is a little more subliminal than that, so let\'s tackle that first.<br /><br /><b>What is too skinny?</b><br /><br />I assume its easy to understand what \"too big\" means, and I\'m sure many of you can visualize it...but what about \"too skinny\"? What, exactly, constitutes \"too skinny\"?&nbsp; <b>\"Too skinny\" is a stick figure. </b>\"Too skinny\" has no muscle definition and looks like you\'d blow away in a strong breeze. When I think \"too skinny\", I think of people doing whatever they can to lose weight, be \"thin\", and look as tiny as they can. Guess what weighs a lot? <b>Muscle</b>. The \"diets\" many people do in order to lose weight and achieve \"too skinny\" don\'t just make you burn fat, they also force your body to break down muscle as well. <b>That\'s not healthy!</b> If your body is at a point where it has to break down muscle, it means it is <b>malnourished</b> and not getting enough nutrients and fuel! Here\'s my prime example:<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><br /><b>Giuliana Rancic. </b>Those of you who watch E!, any kind of gossip news, the TV Guide channel or any kind of red carpet anything have seen this woman. So what\'s my issue with Giuliana?<br /><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"><tbody><tr><td style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0Qp4KBMzQgc/UhS1M02xtQI/AAAAAAAABW8/U0E4zzv6qFQ/s1600/Giuliana.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0Qp4KBMzQgc/UhS1M02xtQI/AAAAAAAABW8/U0E4zzv6qFQ/s320/Giuliana.jpg\" width=\"213\" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=\"text-align: center;\">Img Credit - Fame</td></tr></tbody></table>Well, for one, she\'s a perfect example of the kind of body being shown by Hollywood to women as ideal, and let\'s be honest - what we see on TV, <b>especially</b> <i>those</i> sorts of programs, is meant to be our model for ourselves. We\'re taught to idolize the famous, envy the rich and powerful, and do what we can to be more like them. That said, look at some of the celebrities we\'re either told or supposed to imply are the standard of \"attractive\" that <b>we</b> should be - Giuliana being one (who, by the way, started her own \"fitness\" website to \"help\" others get in the \"perfect shape\"...). Keira Knightley is another one - Pirates of the Caribbean anyone?&nbsp; It\'s tough to find if you go out <b>searching</b> for it, but its there and its sneaky. I had to think about it for a minute, but then I looked at some pictures of Megan Fox from Transformers, and I can\'t decide without watching the movie again, but from pictures I can see online, she definitely rides the line. What was the big reaction to her in that movie though? <b>Sexy</b>. The problem with things like that is, while she may not actually <b>be</b> \"too skinny\", women, especially teenage girls and women in their early 20\'s, want to <b>be</b> that skinny, so<b> they become \"too skinny\" as a result</b>.<br /><br /><b>I will say</b> - while this IS still a problem, its becoming <i>less </i>of a problem as we begin to demonize certain celebrities and their behaviors - certain celebrities who, in addition to drug problems and bad behavior, <i>happen </i>to also be too skinny, so that becomes bad too. As long as there are celebrities like Giuliana who are being praised, and movies showing near-toothpicks like Megan Fox in Transformers, it will still be an issue...and frankly I don\'t foresee Hollywood casting directors changing that anytime soon.<br /><br /><b>How About \"Too Big\"?</b><br /><br />I want to be clear here - when I say \"too big\", I\'m not talking about people who are riding the line and are somewhere close to being \"just right\"...I\'m talking about people who are <u>clearly</u> \"too big\". Visibly overweight. When you <b>get winded going up a flight of stairs</b>, you might be \"too big\". When <b>you can\'t see your toes over your belly</b> you might be \"too big\". When <b>you regularly put down over half a pizza by yourself in one sitting</b> you might be \"too big\". The worst part of \"too big\" is that this country is making it OK. Let me give some examples:<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sbc-b1-upK4/UhTIR7XfNKI/AAAAAAAABXI/gKQhDZ2OaDI/s1600/adele+fat.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"274\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sbc-b1-upK4/UhTIR7XfNKI/AAAAAAAABXI/gKQhDZ2OaDI/s320/adele+fat.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div>Some of you may be familiar with this popular recording artist - Adele. She\'s a well-known big girl and I\'ve actually read a quote from her saying she\'s not concerned about weight and being skinny - she never plans to lose weight. She basically said she could be a house but as long as she\'s making quality albums she\'s ok with that. <b>That is the wrong message to send.</b> But that\'s not <i>really </i>what I\'m talking about: Adele\'s attitude, I feel, just <i>implies</i> that being overweight isn\'t something to worry about. What I\'m talking about is much worse than that. What I\'m talking about is a culture that makes it <b>acceptable</b> to be overweight. Teaches us that everyone is beautiful and to love your body.<br /><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"><tbody><tr><td style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K7S7UthwIdo/UhTI3niIKjI/AAAAAAAABXQ/KtJ8Lgczw64/s1600/Fat-Amy-pitch-perfect-32534849-720-720.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K7S7UthwIdo/UhTI3niIKjI/AAAAAAAABXQ/KtJ8Lgczw64/s320/Fat-Amy-pitch-perfect-32534849-720-720.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=\"text-align: center;\">Img credit - Fanpop</td></tr></tbody></table>Let\'s get this straight - <b>I thought Pitch Perfect was hilarious</b>. That said, now that I think about it, I have a <b>BIG</b> problem with the \"Fat Amy\" character. Basically, Fat Amy is teaching people that it\'s OK to be fat, that skinny girls (or \"twig bitches\") are mean and not to be admired, and that you should love yourself and your body regardless of your size. The movie uses her size for many jokes (both physical comedy and verbal jokes) which, of course, I would expect in a comedy. However, when you couple those jokes with the message the character is sending, you kind of <i>glorify</i> being big like that. They\'re portraying her as a strong character because she\'s overcoming adversity and being happy with herself. <b>I can\'t agree with that</b>. We shouldn\'t be teaching people that maintaining an unhealthy body fat percentage is ok. It creates health problems! High body fat percentage puts stress on your body in so many ways, it puts you at risk for heart disease, diabetes and more...<b>why are we telling people that\'s OK?</b> <br /><br /><b>I\'m gonna <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soapbox\" target=\"_blank\">get up on my soapbox</a> for a minute - this is going to be a long paragraph.</b><br /><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pd_yBWoBcyA/UhTL-F-MQVI/AAAAAAAABXg/GGqh3CfDWt8/s1600/soapbox.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pd_yBWoBcyA/UhTL-F-MQVI/AAAAAAAABXg/GGqh3CfDWt8/s320/soapbox.jpg\" width=\"304\" /></a><b>&nbsp;</b><br /><b>Your doctor </b>should be telling you what a healthy range is and helping you figure out a plan to get healthy. Your doctor should also be describing all the health risks associated with being overweight. One of my faithful readers and members of the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/sothisisfitness/\" target=\"_blank\">\"So Fit\" Family</a> messaged me a link a short while ago and I have to tell you it got me so fired up I wanted to pop. There are, apparently, doctors out there who are telling people <b>that it\'s OK to be fat</b>, that aren\'t making an issue of it, that aren\'t weighing you when you come in for a visit and tell you not to worry about losing weight. <b>I don\'t even know where to begin with this</b>.<br /><br />First off, a clarification - not all of the doctors on this list are internal <span></span><span></span>medicine - there is a wide variety. There are internal medicine, family medicine, naturopathic, OB/GYN, midwifery, psychologists, therapists, gastroenterologists, etc etc. What bothers me is that these are <b>doctors</b> making it <b>OK.</b> If nobody else in the universe tells you the health risks of being overweight and urges you to \"get healthy\", <b>your doctor should</b>. Frankly I think it\'s irresponsible and a violation of the <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath\" target=\"_blank\">Hippocratic Oath</a> to tell people it\'s OK and to tell them they don\'t need to worry about their weight or think about losing any. When someone walks in your office door and is 400 LBS...you offer them <b>help</b>, not a mozzarella stick (there is no tall person alive tall enough for 400 lbs to be healthy...please correct me if I\'m wrong). Now, don\'t bite my head off here - I understand that many people don\'t go to the doctor because they\'re embarrassed about their weight and don\'t want to weigh in, yes I do believe these people should be able to see a doctor without having to be ashamed...but if you feel ashamed because your doctor is telling you about the health risks you\'re currently facing...<b>shouldn\'t that be a hint that you\'re not happy and it\'s time to do something about it?</b> If the doctor is being a jerk about it and is intentionally making you feel ashamed about it, that\'s another thing entirely and I <b>don\'t condone</b> that, but what we have out there is the exact opposite - doctors making you <i>feel good</i> about being overweight! That\'s something that needs to stop. Another part that gets me fired up is: some of those doctors out there who are psychologists or therapists are basically preying on those who are overweight. These doctors get the overweight to come in under the auspices of caring about them and not making their weight an issue. <b>That\'s deceptive and dirty</b>. Ok...off my soapbox...<br /><br />Add on to all of those things we just talked about the general culture of \"love your body\" \"it\'s OK to be big\" and \"be happy\" that these promote and what you have is a nation of overweight people who are empowered to pick up that chicken wing and chow down because y\'know what...<b>I\'m OK with this and it\'s OK to be big! </b>Add in <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/the-i-dont-feel-like-it-syndrome.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"The I Don\'t Feel Like It Syndrome\" </a>and you have a recipie for disaster.<br /><br />Y\'know...let me tell you...I was Mr. I\'m-Big-I\'m-Not-Ashamed for a while but y\'know what...when I stopped fooling myself and lying to myself...I admitted that I really wasnt\' happy. That\'s when <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">My Story</a> and <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">My Transformation</a> began. Don\'t forget...<b>I was a pretty big guy</b>...so on a lot of this, I\'m speaking from experience. I may have seemed happy or tried to be happy, but I really wasn\'t. It was the biggest thing dragging me down in my life.<br /><b> </b><br /><b>So What Is \"Just Right\"?</b><br /><br />Do we really know what \"just right\" is? We\'re pulled in two directions so much that many people don\'t actually find the way to \"just right\" or the tools to figure out what exactly that is. Where\'s the happy medium between \"too big\" and \"too skinny\"? Well, many would say to follow a \"body mass index\" (BMI) chart...but I\'m not sure I agree with that. BMI charts follow age and height to find what your ideal weight range is. The government website where I found a BMI chart DID make a point to say that it is inaccurate for those with an athletic or muscular build, or for those who are older or who have lost muscle weight. Not everyone who is 24 and 5\'8\" should weight the same...some are lean builds and some are athletic. <b>So BMI Chart is out. My vote </b>is to use the Jackson &amp; Pollock chart.<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nJq_iaqOctk/UhTMzJvQuXI/AAAAAAAABXo/MPScp5ti340/s1600/Ideal-Body-Fat-Percentage-Chart2.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nJq_iaqOctk/UhTMzJvQuXI/AAAAAAAABXo/MPScp5ti340/s1600/Ideal-Body-Fat-Percentage-Chart2.jpg\" /></a></div><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nGBM0EcTxW8/UhTNcEkvyvI/AAAAAAAABX4/XKPYemPz99k/s1600/Ideal-Body-Fat-Percentage-Chart3.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nGBM0EcTxW8/UhTNcEkvyvI/AAAAAAAABX4/XKPYemPz99k/s1600/Ideal-Body-Fat-Percentage-Chart3.jpg\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>These charts, I think, hit the nail on the head. They go by age and gender, and there is a range! Lean, Ideal, Average, and Above Average. I\'m gonna go ahead and say that, since this IS \"<a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/america-the-fat.html\" target=\"_blank\">America The Fat</a>\" that \"average\" is probably \"slightly overweight\" and \"above average\" is probably \"too big\". I\'m not sure where I fall right now because I can\'t for the life of me figure out how much pressure to use when I use my body-fat measuring calipers. I\'ll go more in-depth on this in a later article, but the basics here are: women have higher acceptable body fat %\'s than men because they have more need of it in their bodies. These charts use age because as you get older, you naturally have / need more fat in your body. Like I said, <b>this is a really REALLY basic explanation</b> but the gist here is, I think this is the chart to follow. Ask your doctor to help you figure out your body fat percentage and go from there. This is also good for those building muscle as it allows you to account for muscle in your body - notice this chart <b>doesn\'t use weight</b> as a measurement! Imagine that...<b>weight itself isn\'t everything</b>.&nbsp; I feel like <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/why-workouts-fail-2-the-scale.html\" target=\"_blank\">I\'ve heard that somewhere before...</a><br /><br /><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AjTPjwp6uQQ/UetkdSWAiaI/AAAAAAAAA84/mALlnkHUDOk/s1600/wall-e-human.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"238\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AjTPjwp6uQQ/UetkdSWAiaI/AAAAAAAAA84/mALlnkHUDOk/s320/wall-e-human.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a>\"Just Right\" is different for everyone. Some of you might want to fall into the \"ideal\" category, some of you might want to be a little more in the \"lean\" category. Just make sure if you\'re gonna go down the \"lean\" road you have some muscle in there...don\'t go down the \"lean\" road in such a way that you become \"too skinny\". I don\'t want to sound like I\'m putting down the \"love yourself\" idea, but you should be able to love yourself <b>and be healthy too!</b> It\'s all well and good that people want others to be happy, but there\'s nothing wrong with being<b> fit and healthy</b> as a means to be happy<b> </b>. All too often the \"fit\" people are demonized as the jerks, the evil ones, the people <b>putting me down for being fat. The sad truth is, </b>there are \"fit\" people out there who DO actually do that. So my advice to you is - <b>Offer help, not hate.&nbsp; </b>Part of why this whole \"love yourself, fat is OK\" thing is out there is because of \"the jerks at the gym\". Let\'s try to turn that image around, ok? Otherwise Goldilocks is never going to find \"just right\" and we\'ll end up like the humans in <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WALL-E\" target=\"_blank\">Wall-E</a>. Nobody wants that. <br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>','The Goldilocks Problem - Body Image','','publish','open','open','','the-goldilocks-problem-body-image','','','2017-01-20 16:45:20','2017-01-20 21:45:20','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=113',0,'post','',0),(114,1,'2013-08-21 04:14:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','','How Fitness Made Me \"Grow Up\"','','draft','open','open','','','','','2013-08-21 04:14:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=114',0,'post','',0),(115,1,'2013-08-17 13:40:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','','Why Workouts Fail #3 - The Plateau Problem','','draft','open','open','','','','','2013-08-17 13:40:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=115',0,'post','',0),(116,1,'2013-08-16 14:52:00','2013-08-16 18:52:00','<b>Not sure if you\'ve noticed, </b>but there\'s a serious problem in this country. I\'m not sitting here trying to lecture people about the \"obesity\" epidemic, or spit out some figures and statistics at anyone. I\'m talking about what I see in the world around me each day. <b>What am I talking about?</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><table align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"><tbody><tr><td style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0yPuOqYgrfg/Ug46ZpYYQII/AAAAAAAABS0/wTqEworgdcI/s1600/maternal-obesity.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"178\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0yPuOqYgrfg/Ug46ZpYYQII/AAAAAAAABS0/wTqEworgdcI/s320/maternal-obesity.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=\"text-align: center;\">img from medicaldaily.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>We, </b>as a nation,<b> are fat. </b>And for the most part, <b>it doesn\'t really seem to bother us.</b> Not as long as the line at McD\'s isn\'t too long. <br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yY8cOcxnR7Q/UgywAeH6xJI/AAAAAAAABRk/Y19jxLJoVd8/s1600/fat-american.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"226\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yY8cOcxnR7Q/UgywAeH6xJI/AAAAAAAABRk/Y19jxLJoVd8/s320/fat-american.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><br />The problem is - we <b>want </b>what we <b>want</b> when we <b>want</b> it. When do we want it? <b>Now</b>. What do we want? What we <b>like.</b> Don\'t worry,&nbsp; we know what we like...<br /><br /><b>Everything we\'re told to like.</b><br /><br />Sugary, salty, fatty, sweet and designed to taste so good we just. want. <b>more</b>. What foods do you see advertised on TV? What delicious delicacies are you told are so good, so <i>irresistible</i>, you simply HAVE to go out and get it <b>right now</b>? Everything <u><b>bad for you</b></u>. Fast food burgers and fries, ding dings and hoo hoos, little snack cakes, drive-in hot dogs and potato puffs you <b>don\'t even have to get out of your car for </b>brought to you by people who can <b>roll to you</b> (because why should <b>they</b> be bothered to walk if you aren\'t?) and cheese poofs that look <b>bold and daring</b> because the cheetah eating them is a <b>jerk</b>. All these awful foods are <b>glorified</b> and <i>celebrated </i>as something we are privileged to be able to have.<b> But that\'s just ONE part of the problem...</b><br /><br /><b>IN MODERATION</b>, and I mean, like, as a <b>once-in-a-while treat</b>...I suppose it could be <i>possible</i> that your health and energy level wouldn\'t suffer too much from all this stuff. Problem is we don\'t seem to understand the <i>concept</i> of moderation. I find that many people just <b>aren\'t taught limits</b>. Our bodies will <b>tell us</b>&nbsp; when we\'re full, when we are satisfied...when we are <u>sufficiently nourished</u>.&nbsp; When I was little, I was told to <b>finish my plate</b> before I was allowed to have dessert. \"Eat your food, <b>there\'s starving kids in Othercountria\"</b>. That\'s great, stick it in a box and mail it to them...<b>little-kid-me is full!</b> And <u>that</u> is the instant we are taught to ignore anything resembling a signal from our body. We also don\'t eat slowly...we just <i>inhale</i> this stuff. People eat all this awful \"food\" so fast that it doesn\'t even register with their body that it\'s<i> </i><b>in there</b>, so we miss the signals our body is still <i>trying</i> to send us.<b>&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><b>And this is a behavior that we celebrate!</b><br /><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1plSxZlgo-c/Ug4s0485LbI/AAAAAAAABSM/FGpmWKyPvi8/s1600/moderation.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"252\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1plSxZlgo-c/Ug4s0485LbI/AAAAAAAABSM/FGpmWKyPvi8/s320/moderation.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a> <br />How many food-eating contests do you see? Food \"challenges\"? That famous American hot dog eating contest on July 4th? Where like 10 people line up on a nationally televised stage and try to shove 50+ hot dogs down their food-hole in <b>the fastest manner possible</b>? Seriously? It\'s disgusting to watch!&nbsp; I used to LOVE \"Man vs. Food\"...I thought it was <b>awesome. </b>Then over time I noticed the guy on the show seemed to be getting kind of fat. Like <b>visibly, noticeably </b>fat. Pretty soon after that there was a new show called \"Man vs. Food Nation\" where <i>he wasn\'t the one eating</i>, it was other people! Imagine that.<br /><br /><b>Speaking of portion size - </b>I was talking with a co-worker the  other day and I mentioned that I really liked the bbq chicken pizza at  such-and-such restaurant - it was REALLY good and very well-done. They  replied \"Oh, I don\'t like such-and-such restaurant...their portions are  so small!\". <b>Really?</b> Their portions are actually a pretty good size...it\'s just not the <b>overflowing platter of nom</b> that we\'re taught to expect. What a shame that\'s the expectation...the  food at such-and-such is actually really good and not the typical  get-fat-and-blow-up fare you get at most big chains.&nbsp; <br />And y\'know what makes this awful food and lack of moderation even <i><b>worse</b></i>?&nbsp; <br /><br /><b>It\'s all so cheap you can feed the wife and kids too!</b><br /><br /><b>Ten dollars </b>feeds the WHOLE family from the dollar menu! Got a <i>powerful </i>appetite <b>all on your own</b>? Get a <b>big box</b> of heart-stopping <i>tasty</i> for just $5! Want to make sure you REALLY fill up? There are plenty of buffets to choose from, some as cheap as 4.99 for endless everything! <br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C-Qfm0aRU6E/Ug4peJeDPYI/AAAAAAAABSE/3c1mJX7PVic/s1600/obesity-ad.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"235\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C-Qfm0aRU6E/Ug4peJeDPYI/AAAAAAAABSE/3c1mJX7PVic/s400/obesity-ad.png\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><br /><b>Appetite Stimulus Plan?</b> Are you <b>kidding me?</b><br /><br />This has got to be one of the top reasons, as far as I\'m concerned, that we as a nation are so fat - <b>it\'s so damn cheap!</b> I know as a recent college grad I have been broke since I was \"on my own\" in college. What happened when I got hungry? <b>I\'d find something cheap!</b> But boy was I HUNGRY! Well, I <b>was</b> taught to make sure I got my fill...Easy beans! 4 bucks at Taco Bell and I was <b>stuffed</b> for the night. Then again, that 4 bucks\' worth of food was probably more fat and calories than I should\'ve taken in for the whole day.<br /><br /><b>Another problem with all this cheap food</b> we stuff ourselves with is...it\'s <b>cheap</b>! Not just price-wise, but quality-wise too. Next time you go grocery shopping look at the ground beef. Notice that the higher the fat content (and lower the quality) the less expensive it is. The health food section, \"natural\" section...whatever they call it... is often much more expensive than the rest of the store - prohibitively expensive for many people.&nbsp; The average American can do a pretty good job eating relatively healthy, but the average American is also pretty decent at stretching a buck - so the cheap stuff makes it into the cart.<br /><br />But if you\'re feeding the family with this...that means <b>the kids are eating it too</b>.<br /><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"><tbody><tr><td style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6iZjQlS3ewg/Ug46XoW4ESI/AAAAAAAABSw/OdLd9BZMXJc/s1600/obesity.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"240\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6iZjQlS3ewg/Ug46XoW4ESI/AAAAAAAABSw/OdLd9BZMXJc/s320/obesity.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=\"text-align: center;\">img from the-menace-of-obesity.com</td></tr></tbody></table>This is one of my<b> biggest </b>problems with this WHOLE thing...we\'re teaching our <b>kids</b> that not only is eating to excess ok, but its the norm. Some of you may know, I work in a pretty big restaurant chain (over 100 locations)...and I\'m in a tourist town, so LOTS of people come in. I can\'t tell you how many <b>round</b> children I see walk in the door. ROUND! I can\'t understand how, as a parent, some people can allow their child to eat so much that they become <b>so</b> fat they\'re <i>round.<b> </b></i>Kids can\'t get their hands on that amount of food on their own, it\'s being <b>provided</b> to them. I don\'t even know what else to say...it\'s just <b><i>irresponsible</i></b> to feed your kids that kind of food that often and that much that they blow up. And this isn\'t a nutrition thing...but most of these kids aren\'t encouraged to go out and play all that much...many of these kids are the same ones who sit at one of my tables with their eyes glued to and hands surgically attached to a GameBoy or smartphone playing games. <b>Not the best way to burn off the 3000 calories your kid ate today.</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-axzMVOgSmTM/Ug42slFHkYI/AAAAAAAABSc/W-8GzYll_ck/s1600/so+hungry.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-axzMVOgSmTM/Ug42slFHkYI/AAAAAAAABSc/W-8GzYll_ck/s320/so+hungry.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><b>No. You\'re not. </b>You\'re <b>bored. </b>Put down the burrito!<br /><br /><b>I guess where I\'m going with all this is</b> - we need to SERIOUSLY re-examine how we as a nation behave when it comes to food. Fast food, snack food and deep-fat are so ingrained in our culture that it\'d take a pretty big paradigm shift to get truly healthy. This whole problem, coupled with the <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/the-i-dont-feel-like-it-syndrome.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"I don\'t feel like it syndrome</a>\" is why we\'re in such a bad situation right now. However, if we take baby steps, <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/so-this-is-nutrition-the-basics.html\" target=\"_blank\">follow good nutrition guidelines like I\'ve talked about before</a>, and embrace healthy-eating movements we can start going in the right direction. <b>&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><b>I implore you</b> - start at home, with yourself and your kids. <b>Be conscious</b> of the foods you\'re putting in your mouth and putting on a plate for your kids. <b>Make sure</b> not too much of your food is coming from a greasy bag or box handed to you through your car window. <b>Listen to your body</b> - it will tell you when you\'re done. We eat for nourishment and to enjoy the taste, <b>not because we\'re bored.</b>&nbsp; <b>Teach your kids</b> healthy habits and the right foods to eat. <b>They\'re learning from YOU - </b>so make sure you\'re careful about what you\'re showing them.<br /><br /><b>We, as a nation, don\'t have to be fat</b>. But <b>it starts</b> at <i>home</i>. With <b>you.</b><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>','America The Fat','','publish','open','open','','america-the-fat','','','2017-01-21 08:41:39','2017-01-21 13:41:39','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=116',0,'post','',4),(117,1,'2013-08-13 17:19:00','2013-08-13 21:19:00','<b>That\'s right</b>. The <a href=\"http://www.falmouthroadrace.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Falmouth Road Race</a> is over, I finished in 01:10:04, raised (so far) $2,520.00 and feel on top of the world! So what do I do? I go and register for an even bigger race. Because 7.4 miles wasn\'t enough...<b>let\'s go for 13.1</b>. This is the official announcement -<br /><br /><b>I am officially registered for the <a href=\"http://www.capecodmarathon.com/marathon-half/\" target=\"_blank\">Cape Cod Marathon Half</a>.</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2QzMewiZ9mk/UgMMzMJlegI/AAAAAAAABHU/Pd95FG9mHg8/s1600/meme-well-that-escalated-quickly.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"202\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2QzMewiZ9mk/UgMMzMJlegI/AAAAAAAABHU/Pd95FG9mHg8/s400/meme-well-that-escalated-quickly.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><br /><b>But Wait...It Gets Better - I\'m Sponsored!</b><br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br />Yeah, that\'s right...I have a sponsor for my race entry! How \'bout that, huh? Look at me getting all legitimate up in here. So <b>who </b>would sponsor me? <br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1-2CYtLQjJA/UgobuUylIzI/AAAAAAAABO4/kDJWOMvtsGA/s1600/sportclips.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1-2CYtLQjJA/UgobuUylIzI/AAAAAAAABO4/kDJWOMvtsGA/s1600/sportclips.jpg\" /></a></div><br /><a href=\"http://haircutmeneastfalmouthma.com/\" target=\"_blank\">SportClips in Falmouth</a>. Yes, I actually get my hair cut there. <b>For those who don\'t know</b>, SportClips is a sports-themed men\'s \"haircut place\". I don\'t want to call it a barber shop, because it\'s not, and I don\'t want to call it a hair salon because that\'s not manly enough. It\'s kind of like a little man-spa. Seriously! There\'s tv\'s everywhere with sports on - in the waiting area and at each \"haircutter\"\'s chair. It\'s pretty sweet. The reason I call it a \"man-spa\"? They have this thing called the \"MVP\". It\'s 5 bucks extra and basically its like they bring back the old school barbershop thing and mix it with something...new? After your haircut you go back to \"the showers\" and get a hot towel, scalp massage / shampoo, another hot towel, facial massage - its pretty sweet. Worth the 5 bucks each month I go. If you\'re in Falmouth, check them out (they\'re next to Michael\'s and Wal-Mart). If you\'re not in Falmouth, <b>find one</b>. I used to go to Procuts or Supercutsand this place blows them out of the water. No offense if you work there (I\'m sure <b>you</b> don\'t suck) but now I don\'t have to worry about hoping I win the \"haircutter\" lottery so I don\'t look like I lost a fight with a lawnmower. Some just people shouldn\'t cut hair...<br /><br /><b>Anyway - </b>about this race!<br /><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"><tbody><tr><td style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YqL-qDvCT4k/UgpfT3iZtkI/AAAAAAAABPI/Ny8opORtN3A/s1600/FalmouthTrackClub11.gif\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"188\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YqL-qDvCT4k/UgpfT3iZtkI/AAAAAAAABPI/Ny8opORtN3A/s200/FalmouthTrackClub11.gif\" width=\"200\" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=\"text-align: center;\">Image from www.capecodmarathon.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Just so you know (in case you don\'t) - a marathon is 26.2 miles, and a half-marathon is, you guessed it - 13.1 miles. Ever see a sticker on someone\'s car that says 26.2 or 13.1? They ran one. There are many marathons throughout the country, with the Boston Marathon and the ING New York marathon being two that are both popular and nearby. The <a href=\"http://www.capecodmarathon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Cape Cod Marathon</a> is put on by the <a href=\"http://www.falmouthtrackclub.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Falmouth Track Club</a> and has been around for a while - this is the 36th running. This year\'s half-marathon is only the third one they\'ve had, and it\'s very popular. They limit entry to 1,200 runners and from what I\'ve seen, it has filled up (early) both years they\'ve held it. <a href=\"http://www.capecodmarathon.com/marathon-half/route-map/\" target=\"_blank\">The course looks great</a>, and part of it is actually along the <a href=\"http://www.falmouthroadrace.com/course-information\" target=\"_blank\">Falmouth Road Race course</a>, so there\'ll be some familiar ground there. And it\'s right in town! How convenient for me!<br /><br /><b>Didn\'t you just start running at the end of March?&nbsp;You\'re gonna double your top distance again in 75 days?</b><br /><br />Well...yeah! Why not? Part of how I\'ve come so far is that I\'m <b>constantly challenging myself</b>, <b>pushing and testing my limits</b>. I don\'t know what my limit is and, frankly, I don\'t believe there IS a limit. There is only constant improvement. <b>Impossible is nothing</b>. In April I considered it an accomplishment that I made it 3 miles without stopping...now I can go 7 without stopping. By October, I\'m sure I can go further, and I have no doubt I can not only finish the half-marathon, but achieve a time I can be proud of. A while ago I said one of my goals was to run the Boston Marathon 2015...and I meant it. <br /><br /><b>And It\'s For A Good Cause, Too!</b><br /><br /><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"><tbody><tr><td style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-stfiSqQsbic/Ugpm2HtDjEI/AAAAAAAABPY/SwCjLK9IAyQ/s1600/JimmyVLogo.gif\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"152\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-stfiSqQsbic/Ugpm2HtDjEI/AAAAAAAABPY/SwCjLK9IAyQ/s320/JimmyVLogo.gif\" width=\"320\" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=\"text-align: center;\">Image from www.jimmyv.org</td></tr></tbody></table>I felt great being a part of <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/pages/Team-Lanzoni/195301487166598\" target=\"_blank\">Team Lanzoni</a> and helping to do something incredible and raise so much money for Dana-Farber!&nbsp;<b> </b>I want to do it again - this time for the <a href=\"http://www.jimmyv.org/\" target=\"_blank\">V Foundation for Cancer Research</a>. The V Foundation is the official philanthropy of my college fraternity - <a href=\"http://www.deltachi.org/\" target=\"_blank\">The Delta Chi Fraternity, Inc.</a> I plan to raise and donate money to The V Foundation on behalf of <a href=\"http://www.sites.google.com/site/dxboston\" target=\"_blank\">The Boston Area Alumni Chapter of Delta Chi</a> (of which I am President). We\'ll see if I can get a team of Delta Chi Brothers and friends together to do this thing (before the half marathon fills up!). I\'m going to have to get creative to do this since I don\'t have those sweet raffle tickets Team Lanzoni gave us, but I\'m sure with the help of the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/bostondeltachi\" target=\"_blank\">Boston Alumni Chapter</a> and my friends and family I can come up with some great ways to raise money! I\'ll be sure to let everyone know when the fundraising begins!<br /><br /><b>So Now It\'s Time To Start Training Again</b><br /><br />I feel good about this. I had such an incredible time at the Falmouth Road Race, and I feel like I can officially call myself a runner. So what am I gonna do? <b>Keep Running.</b> Keep on doing it. Keep on seeing how far I can go, how fast I can get there, how strong I can get, how much I can improve myself. The alternative is to get stagnant or maybe even lose everything I\'ve worked for, and honestly <b>that\'s not an option</b>. I didn\'t get through <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">My Transformation</a> by deciding I had reached the mountaintop - I got where I have by continuing on. So, you know where I\'m at...the question is: what are <b>you </b>gonna do?<b> </b>','On To The Next One - 13.1','','publish','open','open','','on-to-the-next-one-13-1','','','2017-01-14 09:11:06','2017-01-14 14:11:06','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=117',0,'post','',0),(118,1,'2013-08-12 18:47:00','2013-08-12 22:47:00','<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">I lost 107 lbs.</a> I trained for 140 miles. I raised $2,520 for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (so far). <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">I spent one year of my life</a> turning around my health and fitness. I re-learned how to think about nutrition and what I put in my mouth. I got in tune with my body. I gave it my all. <b>And then I ran...&nbsp;</b> <br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HstNwartSZo/UghMjZ55oAI/AAAAAAAABMY/DZKjY9XAUGE/s1600/IMG_20130811_085545_822.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"></a><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-53XecJMNMbU/UghdwnvLaFI/AAAAAAAABNo/v5yvEVClDGg/s1600/runkeeper+roadrace.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-53XecJMNMbU/UghdwnvLaFI/AAAAAAAABNo/v5yvEVClDGg/s400/runkeeper+roadrace.jpg\" height=\"297\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div>All I can say is...<b>wow</b>. What an experience! No wonder so many people want to run the <a href=\"http://www.falmouthroadrace.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Falmouth Road Race</a>! I had heard that it was the second most popular race in New England, the most desirable race in the country, etc...but I had <b>no idea</b> what an incredible <br /><a name=\'more\'></a>experience it would be! As you can see from the <a href=\"http://www.runkeeper.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Runkeeper</a> screenshot above (check out my <a href=\"http://runkeeper.com/user/dwmctague\" target=\"_blank\">Runkeeper profile</a> and <a href=\"http://runkeeper.com/user/dwmctague/activity/223465808\" target=\"_blank\">road race activity</a>), I got the time I was shooting for! Runkeeper reported 1:10:13 and my \"unofficial\" chip time was 1:10:04.<br /><br /><b>For the non-runners out there </b>- there are two different \"times\" many timed races will report - \"Gun Time\" and \"Chip Time\" (sometimes called \"Net Time\"). Gun Time is<br />the time from when the gun goes off and the race starts to when you cross the finish line. Chip Time (or Net Time) is the time from <b>when you actually cross the starting line</b> to when you cross the finish.&nbsp; You may think these times would be the same, but if you\'re in a large race you might actually cross the starting line one, two, five or even ten+ minutes after the gun goes off. Yesterday in the Falmouth Road Race I didn\'t cross the starting line until <b>more than 20 minutes </b>after the gun went off. They call it \"Chip Time\" because it\'s the time when your timing chip crosses the start and finish. They call it \"Net Time\" because it\'s the gun time minus the time it takes for you to get to the starting line (in this case, \"Net\" is a math term).<br /><br /><b>In terms of performance and results</b> - Yes, I got the time I wanted. I<i> </i>was pretty steady in my pace and stayed under 9:46 per mile the entire race. Once I got up the big hill in Falmouth Heights (the last challenge where lots of runners drop) I turned it on and zipped to the end on a mission. I felt great, due I\'m sure in part to a number of things including proper sleep the night before, being hydrated, good pre-race nutrition, my intra-workout drink during the race and a clear head with a positive attitude. Know what helped? <b>It was like I was the only person out there. </b>Nobody else mattered. I was doing my thing and the other 12,799 people were just...<i>there.</i> People zipped ahead of me early on and I smiled to myself thinking \"I\'ll see you around mile 5\" and I passed people walking from mile 3 onward thinking \"I was you during the Finish at the 50 10K\". I learned a lot and it paid off!<br /><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HstNwartSZo/UghMjZ55oAI/AAAAAAAABMY/DZKjY9XAUGE/s1600/IMG_20130811_085545_822.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HstNwartSZo/UghMjZ55oAI/AAAAAAAABMY/DZKjY9XAUGE/s400/IMG_20130811_085545_822.jpg\" height=\"225\" width=\"400\" /></a><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><b>There are two things I want to put out there</b> for those of you who don\'t know: 1. I ran this race as a part of <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/pages/Team-Lanzoni/195301487166598\" target=\"_blank\">Team Lanzoni</a> - the <a href=\"https://www.99restaurants.com/community/dana-farber/\" target=\"_blank\">99 Restaurants team</a>. Team Lanzoni is a part of the <a href=\"http://www.rundanafarber.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Dana-Farber Cancer Institute running program</a>. 2. I am a<a href=\"http://www.massfreemasonry.org/\" target=\"_blank\"> Freemason</a>, and so was my grandfather Peter. <b>What do these two things have in common?</b><br /><b>&nbsp;</b> <br />Last July my grandfather passed away. During his battle with cancer, he was taken care of in the Dana-Farber center at Faulkner in Boston. They took great care of him, were incredibly compassionate, and were there for my family when we needed them. They took the time to make sure they did everything they could and to make sure we were OK when we ran out of options. I wanted to be able to do something for them - help to give someone else a fighting chance. I ran this race for him, and I carried him with me the whole 7.4 miles (or maybe it was him that carried me). <br /><br /><b>Speaking of Team Lanzoni...</b><br />One of the guys in corral 5 with me was an interesting character. His name is Eric Parent, otherwise known as <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/Thesmoothbear\" target=\"_blank\">TheSmoothBear</a>...<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cfVvJlD5RHg/UghM0qylKOI/AAAAAAAABM8/58bvbfIPXc8/s1600/IMG_20130811_124505_406.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cfVvJlD5RHg/UghM0qylKOI/AAAAAAAABM8/58bvbfIPXc8/s400/IMG_20130811_124505_406.jpg\" height=\"225\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><b> </b>This guy is a part of Team Lanzoni too. He\'s got a <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_ysTsVcPVvMDZc6T2DbslQ\" target=\"_blank\">vlog (video blog, check it out here)</a> where (among other things) he chronicles his running thing. I checked out some of his videos and he\'s pretty entertaining. In one of his videos <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vljs7vx3248&amp;list=UU_ysTsVcPVvMDZc6T2DbslQ\" target=\"_blank\">RFTF: Orange Is The New Black</a> he literally talks about the Netflix show OITNB while running. I mean, I know some runners can just have a conversation like its no big deal while they cruise along, but I guess I was kind of expecting that from those toothpicks in running shoes...TheSmoothBear (no offense buddy) is a big dude, not your typical running toothpick, so I was surprised. I know I sure as hell can\'t have a conversation like that while running, so kudos to you on that! As far as content - he just kinda tells it like it is, which I like. It\'s always good to see a big guy (read beasty, not fat) rockin\' out in fitness world, so more kudos to you on that! Keep on keepin\' on. Hopefully I see this guy again in next year\'s Falmouth Road Race. Be sure to check out <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_ysTsVcPVvMDZc6T2DbslQ\" target=\"_blank\">his vlog</a> and <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/Thesmoothbear\" target=\"_blank\">his Facebook</a> - let him know Darrell sent you from \"So THIS Is Fitness...\"!<br /><br /><b>But Perhaps The Best Part Of Yesterday...</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PR1JvMqF12U/UghLZ0RSzYI/AAAAAAAABJ0/l9T1d6iFuT4/s1600/IMG_20130811_070044_443.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PR1JvMqF12U/UghLZ0RSzYI/AAAAAAAABJ0/l9T1d6iFuT4/s640/IMG_20130811_070044_443.jpg\" height=\"640\" width=\"360\" /></a></div>We may not have run next to each other, but being out there with my fiancee Megan was great! She\'s been right there next to me since day 1 of P90X when this whole thing started, and it was a great feeling to be out there with her for our biggest challenge yet. I\'m so proud of her and how far she\'s come. Despite knee issues (and no uber-knee brace like I have) and a history of debilitating cramps every time we run she achieved her best pace to date and <i>smashed </i>the time she expected to get, coming in at 1:21:48. Sounds like she plans on being a part of Team Lanzoni with me next year for this race, and in the more immediate future...hopefully she\'ll be a part of my next undertaking...more on that soon.<br /><br /><b>Oh, By The Way:</b><br /><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/running-playlist\" target=\"_blank\">My Playlist</a> did me a lot of good. I find it ironic that <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEXHeTcxQy4\" target=\"_blank\">Chelsea Dagger</a> never came on through the whole run, but I did have <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-2yuGgp_U8\" target=\"_blank\">Lift Me Up</a> on for that last hill climb in Falmouth Heights, and let me tell you it felt pretty badass climbing that hill and flying to the finish rockin\' out to that.<b> </b><br /><br /><b>So, Overall?</b><br />The Falmouth Road Race<b> </b>was an incredible experience, I performed better than I could\'ve expected, felt great and I\'m looking forward to next year where hopefully I\'ll get a lower number and a better corral.<br />Just think - if I can do this, <b><u>anyone</u> can do it</b>. Get out there and <u><b>get to it</b></u>.','And Then I Ran... | Falmouth Road Race','','publish','open','open','','and-then-i-ran-falmouth-road-race','','','2017-01-18 07:47:05','2017-01-18 12:47:05','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=118',0,'post','',0),(119,1,'2013-08-10 22:40:00','2013-08-11 02:40:00','<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lym0hWbDKeY/Uga_wdROo8I/AAAAAAAABJY/XrddHCjnomM/s1600/IMG_20130810_123839_406.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"295\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lym0hWbDKeY/Uga_wdROo8I/AAAAAAAABJY/XrddHCjnomM/s320/IMG_20130810_123839_406.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><br />So here we are. Tomorrow is the big day. Race day. I keep hearing that the Falmouth Road Race is the biggest, most popular race in New England second only to the Boston Marathon itself. All things considered, I believe it. I\'ve been preparing for this for months, and I feel like I was preparing for it before I even knew I was doing it. I\'ve logged over 140 miles training for this which, frankly, isn\'t<br /><a name=\'more\'></a> as much as I would\'ve liked. I suppose it was about the best i could do considering I\'ve been doing a bodybuilding program for the past 8 weeks...cardio and heavy iron aren\'t usually best friends...<br /><br />Anyway - in preparation for the race I gave special attention to my <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/running-playlist\" target=\"_blank\">playlist</a>. Some songs were ditched and some added. This was a painstaking process and believe it or not I did \"road test\" most of the songs I was considering...kind of the only sure way to know you can run to it.<br /><br />First - additions:<br /><br />A couple of these are actually kind of working as <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/08/running-on-rocket-fuel-anatomy-of-a-power-song.html\" target=\"_blank\">Power Songs</a> for me <br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wws7mnMewPw\" target=\"_blank\">135 BPM - Slipknot - Psychosocial</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9cM06Ok4TU\" target=\"_blank\">140 BPM - La Roux - Bulletproof (Chrispy Dubstep Mix)</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fVE8kSM43I\" target=\"_blank\">145 BPM - Slipknot - Duality </a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PvebsWcpto\" target=\"_blank\">148 BPM - Florida Georgia Line - Cruise</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-2yuGgp_U8\" target=\"_blank\">150 BPM - Five Finger Death Punch - Lift Me Up</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLk75fFXqH4\" target=\"_blank\">152 BPM - Five Finger Death Punch - Under And Over It</a><br /><a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RROdymuLnc8\" target=\"_blank\">152 BPM - Five Finger Death Punch - Back For More</a><br /><br />Next up - cut from the team:<br />These songs were just really throwing off my rhythm. Overall they were too slow and I was trying to move too fast to them - ended up off-sync and with a weird stride. <br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tolm-07if3c\" target=\"_blank\">108 BPM - The Ting Tings - Shut Up And Let Me Go</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyDUC1LUXSU\" target=\"_blank\">120 BPM - Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines (feat. T.I. and Pharrel)</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXBFun0ijYQ\" target=\"_blank\">120 BPM - Cobra Starship - Hot Mess</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlW1VYrETAM\" target=\"_blank\">120 BPM - Karmin - Brokenhearted (R3hab Remix)</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlOAMKTj0hU\" target=\"_blank\">125 BPM - Rammstein - Du Hast</a><br /><br />Last - tried and failed:<br />I really wanted to be able to run to these songs, but <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/the-music-while-running-controversy.html\" target=\"_blank\">you just can\'t force it</a>. Instead of my running playlist I\'ll have to be satisfied with having these on in the car or something. Maybe when I do a cycling playlist I can revisit these (cadence and pace is different)<br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyDUC1LUXSU\" target=\"_blank\">120 BPM - Robin Thicke ft. T.I. - Blurred Lines</a> (too slow of a beat, couldn\'t match the rhythm to my stride)<br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asOvnGHwtDU\" target=\"_blank\">138 BPM - The Vines - Get Free</a> (beat just wasn\'t quite right...almost)<br /><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktvTqknDobU\" target=\"_blank\">150 BPM - Imagine Dragons - Radioactive</a> (song is kinda slow and draggy. Beat would be good but its a sluggish kinda song - not energetic enough for running)<br /><br />One thing is for sure - I. Am. Pumped. I feel like I\'ve trained and have gotten myself to a point where I can not only finish, but finish strong with a time I can be proud of. I\'ve run the course once for practice so I know what to expect and I\'ve re-tooled my <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/running-playlist\" target=\"_blank\">playlist</a>. Just think - if in one year I can do what I\'ve done...anyone can.<br /><br />At this point, there\'s nothing to it but to do it. See you at the finish.','Primed And Ready - Falmouth Road Race (w/ playlist update)','','publish','open','open','','primed-and-ready-falmouth-road-race-w-playlist-update','','','2017-01-21 08:41:09','2017-01-21 13:41:09','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=119',0,'post','',0),(120,1,'2013-08-09 12:56:00','2013-08-09 16:56:00','At this point a lot of people have heard, seen or read <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">my story</a> and asked me <b>how I did it</b>. How I got started? How I stayed motivated to keep going? Turns out, a lot of people ask me that question because <b>they want to know how THEY can do it too</b>.<br /><br />Well, here we are. The \"Get Up And GO\" Guide. This will break down everything you need to know, do, and remind yourself in order to...well... Get Up and GO! Let\'s dive right in - <br /><br />First Thing\'s First<b> - Get Out Of Your Own Way!</b><br /><b></b><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><b><br /></b><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LH9jfUr-XhM/UgKqj7IHAOI/AAAAAAAABHE/CFvxtJCN2P8/s1600/stifstopsign.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LH9jfUr-XhM/UgKqj7IHAOI/AAAAAAAABHE/CFvxtJCN2P8/s1600/stifstopsign.jpg\" /></a></div><b>YOU </b>are the only obstacle in your way. Nobody can<br />tell you that <b>you can\'t do it</b>. <b>Your voice</b> is the only voice that matters. You are <b>perfectly capable</b> of achieving your goals. So, <b>stop the excuses</b>, <b>do</b> what you need to do to be in a position to begin your journey...and <b>do it!</b> I could go on for hours, but that\'s about all there is to say in this part of the guide. I\'ve already talked about the <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/the-i-dont-feel-like-it-syndrome.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"I Don\'t Feel Like It Syndrome\"</a>, <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/defeating-demotivators-1-the-fear-monster.html\" target=\"_blank\">The Fear Monster</a>, <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/why-workouts-fail-1-the-napoleon-complex.html\" target=\"_blank\">The Napoleon Complex</a> and <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/conquer-the-truth-about-motivation.html\" target=\"_blank\">motivation itself</a>, so we\'ve covered a lot of the bases concerning why you might not have been doing anything - it\'s time to figure out what\'s been keeping you away from a better you and <b>beat it</b>. Those other articles might <br />help.<br /><br /><b>So What Are You Gonna Do Now?</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Meem0uxYX6U/UgPzfNL6fHI/AAAAAAAABHk/vf2fQbWEsgc/s1600/ok-now-what.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"240\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Meem0uxYX6U/UgPzfNL6fHI/AAAAAAAABHk/vf2fQbWEsgc/s320/ok-now-what.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><b>&nbsp; </b><br />No, really...assuming you\'re ready to do something, you have to know <b>what it is</b> you\'re gonna do! That means you need to have a goal envisioned in your mind. What is your goal - <b>what do you want</b> in the end? It\'s going to be a long road, and you need a road map to get there. So, figure it out!<br /><b> </b><br />Are you trying to burn fat and get lean (known in fitness world as \"cutting\") or get big and build muscle (\"bulking\")? What do you want to look like? What size do you want to be? What weight are you shooting for? Where do you want to be in a year? I know it seems far off, but if you set your ultimate goal now you can figure out your plan and set little, more immediately attainable goals to achieve along the way. Trust me - little victories along the path to the Promised Land can do a lot more for you than you can appreciate right now.<br /><br /><b>OK, </b>So you know where you want to go - <b>How Do You Get There?</b><br /><br />This is the part where you have to choose your starting point - what you\'re actually going to do to start losing/gaining weight. This can be a big decision, and it IS an important one.&nbsp;<b> </b>Megan (my fiancee) and I were between two programs - P90X and INSANITY. We were familiar with the two from word of mouth, internet ads, and tv infomercials. We had a rough idea of what we were in for and what the two were like. In the end, the differences we were deciding between were:<br /><br />P90X - requires some equipment, allows lots of modification of moves, well-rounded program<br />Insanity - requires NO equipment, doesn\'t really allow much modification (or any at all), cardio HELL. <br /><br />We decided, in the end, to do P90X first. Frankly, <b>I\'m glad we did</b>. For what we were looking to do it was a good starting point. It allowed us to ease into things modifying moves and achieving little victories, still getting the full workout done instead of failing after one or two full-out intense reps. It allowed us to <b>feel good</b> about our achievements and see our <b>progress</b> as we went along. <b>Yes,</b> we would\'ve seen progress in INSANITY too, but the fact we couldn\'t go balls-to-the-wall and get more than a couple reps might have discouraged us from finishing the program. Doint P90X also helped us build a base of muscle and shed some initial weight (read: a LOT of weight) that helped make INSANITY suck a whole lot less.<br /><br />In the end, <b>we made the right choice for us</b>. Maybe the other choice would\'ve worked for you. That\'s probably the toughest part - in the end, <b>you have to make the call.</b> Look into your available options and choose what you think is going to serve you best. P90X allowed my 300 lb out-of-shape self to struggle for 10 pushups on my knees and still complete the workout. Progress is progress -<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kLDUQomQlGk/UgRhkwa-zqI/AAAAAAAABH0/llsPETZ427c/s1600/dead-last-finish-meme.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"200\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kLDUQomQlGk/UgRhkwa-zqI/AAAAAAAABH0/llsPETZ427c/s400/dead-last-finish-meme.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div>Because let\'s be honest - you\'re already lapping the guy still sitting on the couch.<br /><br />Once you figure out what you\'re doing, you need <b>the tools for success</b>.<br /><br /><b>What are The Tools For Success?</b><br /><br />Generally, whatever the program you\'re doing calls for! If you\'re going to do a program like P90X that requires equipment, <u><b>you need that equipment!</b></u> Things like resistance bands, pull-up bars, push-up stands, yoga mats, etc can be found at stores like Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, Wal-Mart, or your favorite sporting goods store. I got my resistance band set for about $12, same with some nice push-up stands. Yoga mat was about $12 for a nice one and yoga block was $5 (worth it). Trust me,<b> the equipment</b> <b>is worth the investment</b>. Don\'t let a few extra bucks scare you away - it\'s worth it for your health, fitness and enjoyment. I\'d happily invest that $50 again to add enjoyable years onto my life. If you\'re going a little more hardcore with something like P90X2 or Body Beast, you\'ve probably already done some workout programs and have built up a collection of equipment already. <b>Don\'t choose a program simply because of a lack of required equipment</b>. I almost made that mistake, and if I had, I might have gotten discouraged and quit INSANITY, and I never would\'ve gotten in shape and started running.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RAPp4HY0GyQ/UgRt0lGoo_I/AAAAAAAABIk/MWs3CFqF70I/s1600/IMG_20130730_103135_867.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RAPp4HY0GyQ/UgRt0lGoo_I/AAAAAAAABIk/MWs3CFqF70I/s640/IMG_20130730_103135_867.jpg\" width=\"640\" /></a></div><br />If the program you\'re doing has worksheets, trust me...<b>print them and use them. </b>I WISH I had printed and used the P90X worksheets - I\'d LOVE to see how far I\'ve come since then. Not only that, but the worksheets help you stay on track, remember what weight/how many reps you did last time, and <b>continue to steadily improve</b>. I thought I knew better. Guess what? <b>I didn\'t.</b><b> </b>I\'ve come so far that now, in Body Beast, not only did I use worksheets, but I found better worksheets online and modified them to suit my needs. <b>USE THE WORKSHEETS</b>. You\'ll thank yourself later.<br /><br /><b>Before and After Pictures &amp; Measurements are HUGELY Important!</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><b><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U7bfQ1zYljU/UgRmPd603xI/AAAAAAAABIE/a9_wxDme9Sk/s1600/885308_10101200011174872_1745072204_o.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"377\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U7bfQ1zYljU/UgRmPd603xI/AAAAAAAABIE/a9_wxDme9Sk/s640/885308_10101200011174872_1745072204_o.jpg\" width=\"640\" /></a></b></div><br />Seriously, if you take one piece of advice, take this - <b>DO THE BEFORE AND AFTERS!</b> You have no idea how sorry I almost was...I waited until Day 6 of P90X to do before pictures.&nbsp;<b> </b>I was<i><b> so ashamed</b></i> of my body and <u>disgusted</u> with how I looked<b> I didn\'t even want to do before pictures</b>. <b>I wanted to forget all about it</b>. I am SO glad I finally did the before pictures. I can see how far I\'ve come! I can appreciate my achievements! It\'s such a great feeling and now that I\'m so much more fit people look at the before and can\'t believe it. (you can see all the <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">before &amp; afters here</a>) I <b>wish </b>I had taken measurements before. The only one I have is my waist size, and that\'s not entirely accurate. It was likely bigger than I think. <br /><b>Take Pictures, take your measurements, document your journey. Fit-&amp;-Healthy You WILL thank yourself. </b><br /><br /><b>Once you do that, it\'s GO TIME</b><br /><br /><b>SO, </b>You\'ve got direction, you\'ve got a program, you\'ve got the tools and you\'ve taken the pics/measurements. Presumably, you have a <b>suitable space</b> to do your workout. Anywhere you can do your workout, use your equipment, not disturb others (too much) and not be disturbed by others will do. <b>Don\'t worry about people watching you</b> <b>- let the hater\'s hate. </b>I would think anyone that could see you in your workout space would be someone close to you, and I would hope someone that close wouldn\'t judge you. <br /><br /><b>NOW that we\'ve moved on from the haters - </b>Get your fit test done (if there is one). Some programs, such as P90X, have a fit test you do before and after the program, whereas other programs like INSANITY have a fit test that is part of the regular schedule. Whatever the case, DO IT. Again, <b>you\'ll thank yourself later</b>. <br /><br /><b>This Is The Easy Part</b><br /><br />Not to rip a line from Nike or anything...but...well...Just Do It! You\'ve got everything you need. Just. Freaking. <b>DO IT! </b>If you need motivation along the way, just think about where you came from, where you want to be, and how much you don\'t want to look like that before picture again. Think about how good it feels to finish a workout and have that little success under your belt. Think of how good it feels to see yourself shrinking week to week, see your clothes fitting looser, needing to go shopping to buy new ones. Think of your loved ones and how you\'d like to be around a little longer for them, or how you\'d like to look better for them. If you\'re like I was, think of <b>how much it sucks to get winded going up one flight of stairs</b>. Everyone has that one little nugget of <i>something</i> that will kick their butt into gear no matter how much the workout sucks, how much you\'re swearing at Tony Horton or Shaun T through the TV, or how much you REALLY just <i>don\'t </i>want to get out of bed and go work out this morning.<br /><br /><b>If you need a little outside help</b> keeping yourself accountable, be a part of a group designed for just such a purpose. There are many on Facebook, many in real life (with real people!) too. Enough people reached out to me talking about inspiration and asking for advice that I went and made one. If you want, you can become a part of it&nbsp;<a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/sothisisfitness/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>. I\'ve been a part of one for a while and I can tell you it was definitely a great motivator on the days I needed it. Other days, it\'s a great place to learn something or help motivate others. <b>Maybe having a workout partner </b>is what you need. I know having my fiancee there beside me every day doing the workout with me was a big deal. <b>I tried harder</b>. For her and for me. If she could do it, I could do it. If I could do it, she could do it. We were a <b>team</b>. Once we got to the end of Week 1 Day 6 we looked at each other and said \"If we can get through the first week, we can get through the whole thing.\" - and we did. <br /><br /><b>Fight off those last little excuses </b>that creep into your mind! Don\'t try to fool yourself and say you don\'t have time: no matter how long you work, how screwed up your hours, how awful your schedule, remember: <br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MxsTZj6guyg/UgRq8Uu1ZEI/AAAAAAAABIY/tTzzOSFUWF4/s1600/too-busy.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"240\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MxsTZj6guyg/UgRq8Uu1ZEI/AAAAAAAABIY/tTzzOSFUWF4/s320/too-busy.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><br /></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\">Think you<b> can\'t do it? </b>It\'s just<b> too hard </b>and you\'re <b>too out of shape?</b></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><br /></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-isFEI803Hzc/UgRxlKyUZzI/AAAAAAAABI0/QiEz6h3NlAI/s1600/no-excuses.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-isFEI803Hzc/UgRxlKyUZzI/AAAAAAAABI0/QiEz6h3NlAI/s320/no-excuses.jpg\" width=\"310\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><br /></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\">So <b>get to it, Nancy. <u>You got this. </u></b></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"><br /></div><b> </b>','The \"Get Up And GO\" Guide','','publish','open','open','','the-get-up-and-go-guide','','','2017-01-20 16:46:25','2017-01-20 21:46:25','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=120',0,'post','',1),(121,1,'2013-08-06 15:20:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','OK, there\'s something that\'s been bothering me for a while and working in a restaurant I\'m reminded of it on a near-daily basis. I know I\'m gonna break a lot of hearts with this one, but there\'s just no way around it.','The \"Diet\" Dilema','','draft','open','open','','','','','2013-08-06 15:20:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=121',0,'post','',0),(122,1,'2013-08-03 20:46:00','2013-08-04 00:46:00','So you\'re running along, you\'re doggin\' it, life sucks, and all of a sudden a song comes on that just hits you the right way. Your stride picks up, your breathing straightens out, there\'s a bounce in your step and you\'re running like you just got a power-up in a video game. <b>Ladies and gentlemen - </b>your playlist just gave you a Power Song! We\'re back in this thing!<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WtE8WGQK6C4/UfzbrZ7R-OI/AAAAAAAABFY/nYt2joTan9c/s1600/super+mario+star.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WtE8WGQK6C4/UfzbrZ7R-OI/AAAAAAAABFY/nYt2joTan9c/s1600/super+mario+star.jpg\" /></a></div><br /><b>Wait...what?</b><br /><b><br /></b>The <a href=\"http://www.falmouthroadrace.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Falmouth Road Race</a> is 8 days away <br /><a name=\'more\'></a>and I\'m going on my last long run pre-race today...probably a 5 or 6 miler. I\'m going through my music to make sure my <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.blogspot.com/p/running-playlist.html\" target=\"_blank\">playlist</a> is up to date (there will be a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.blogspot.com/p/running-playlist.html\" target=\"_blank\">playlist</a> update article soon) and the thought struck me that there might be some people out there that <b>don\'t know what a Power Song is</b>. Power Songs are like the secret weapon to success in the running / workout world (as far as I\'m concerned)! I mean, aside from proper nutrition, stretching and hydration of course. <br /><br />I searched the internet and I really couldn\'t find much<b> </b>about \"Power Songs\", which was disappointing. So, I suppose we\'ll start with the obvious question...<br /><br /><b>What IS a Power Song?</b><br /><br />A power song pumps. you. <b>UP.</b> You can be slowing down, losing steam, feeling like you want to stop - it\'s just TOO much...and then a Power Song comes on and you feel <b>recharged.</b> <b>Refueled.</b> Ready to <b>take <span style=\"font-size: small;\">ON</span> <span style=\"font-size: large;\">THE</span> <span style=\"font-size: x-large;\">WORLD</span></b>. A Power Song doesn\'t just bring you a second wind - it brings you a <span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>HURRICANE</b></span>. If you\'re already cruising along? You cruise along <b>harder. Faster. <u>Stronger</u></b>. Each step is <i>effortless</i>. Each rep is <b>lighter </b>than the last. A power song is like <a href=\"http://www.mariowiki.com/Star\" target=\"_blank\">Super Mario\'s Invincibility Star</a>. Every time a power song comes on I feel as amped up as the <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRuNxHqwazs\" target=\"_blank\">Powerthirst video</a>, or the guy in the <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTvtFp_iPKc\" target=\"_blank\">Old Spice commercials</a>.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WkTYPDlSPLw/Uf1nDr_u3GI/AAAAAAAABFo/MYuJiwvHiR0/s1600/hqdefault.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"240\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WkTYPDlSPLw/Uf1nDr_u3GI/AAAAAAAABFo/MYuJiwvHiR0/s320/hqdefault.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><br /><b>Seriously</b>, it\'s tough to put a hard definition on it, but basically a Power Song is like a turbo-shot of <b>GO</b>. And it will get you through the worst parts of your workout or run like you just started out and will leave you feeling fresh as a daisy. The beat is perfect, you sync up just right, you get your stride right, you get pumped up and super-motivated and you just <b>go. </b>It\'s a great feeling. So, naturally, you\'d like to know how to find the most awesome power song out there right?<br /><br /><b>You can\'t.</b><br /><br />Sorry, Charlie. That\'s not how it works. You can\'t <i>force </i>a Power Song - you can\'t choose it. <b>It </b>chooses <b>you.</b> I know, it sounds strange, but it\'s true...it just <i>happens</i>. You\'ll be listening to the radio and just start jamming out, feeling everything I just talked about. You can be at the gym and it comes on. You might even have thrown one in your own playlist and <b>not even have realized it</b>. But when it hits you, you\'ll know. It can be from any genre, it can be any length. It can literally be ANY song...and it\'s different for everyone. SOMEHOW, one of my fiancee\'s power songs is&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-D1EB74Ckg\" target=\"_blank\">160 BPM - Selena Gomez - Come And Get It</a><b>. I can\'t understand it</b>. But it works for her. That\'s just how it is. My FAVORITE power song right now is&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEXHeTcxQy4\" target=\"_blank\">154 BPM - The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger</a><b>. Every single time</b> I hear that song I get amped up and want to run.<br /><b> </b><br /><b>That doesn\'t always happen</b>.<br /><br />There are some songs that I love that WERE Power Songs but just don\'t get me as amped up as they used to. They\'re still great to run to and work well on my playlist, but they somehow just aren\'t Power Songs anymore. Sometimes it works for me, sometimes it\'s just a regular running song. <b>Go figure</b>. While I do try to load myself up with songs that have Power Song potential...<br /><br /><b>You can\'t just make a playlist entirely of power songs</b><br /><br />Really, it won\'t end well. Either you\'ll stop getting amped up to many of them, as happened to me, or EVEN WORSE - you\'ll gas yourself (run yourself out of gas). The whole point of a Power Song is that it amps you up and puts you into overdrive...but you can\'t run like that for your entire run! <b>Maybe </b>if you\'re on a 5K you can, but anything more than that you\'ll regret it.&nbsp;<b> </b><br /><br />So, keep your ears open and give a listen - you might be surprised what songs you find yourself air-drumming or dancing in the car to. When you feel that adrenaline hit - write it down or Shazaam it and put it in your playlist! Give it a go, and if it works out as well as you think, <b>congratulations</b> - you just permanently increased your playlist by 1. And climbed a mountain later on.','Running on Rocket Fuel - Anatomy of a Power Song','','publish','open','open','','running-on-rocket-fuel-anatomy-of-a-power-song','','','2017-01-08 16:47:08','2017-01-08 21:47:08','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=122',0,'post','',0),(123,1,'2013-08-01 16:34:00','2013-08-01 20:34:00','So apparently people are reading this blog and are getting inspired to get up off the couch and get fit and healthy. I have to say,<b> I\'m pretty happy about that</b>. That was part of the big picture here, I just wasn\'t sure when it would actually start happening. So...<b>yay</b>.<br /><br />People have asked me to write about a number of things and to review a number of things (there\'s even products being sent to me to be reviewed!) and I thought <i>well, if people want to hear about it, why not write about it</i>.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OQLFtgmXEl0/Ufh9zBLaG7I/AAAAAAAABEQ/GkQQbZG2aeE/s1600/fruitweights.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"192\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OQLFtgmXEl0/Ufh9zBLaG7I/AAAAAAAABEQ/GkQQbZG2aeE/s400/fruitweights.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div>So here we are. Nutrition. <br /><a name=\'more\'></a>Someone asked me to talk about the Paleo diet but that\'d be like trying to go into AP Calc without covering Algebra 1 first - so I thought I\'d start with <b>The Basics</b>. Yes, this information is available from other sources, and there\'s one in particular I really like, but it\'s kind of technical and assumes you know a lot more than you might if you\'re just starting out - so I\'m going to try to present it in an easy-to-digest way (no pun intended).<br /><br /><b>What\'s Up With The Watermelon dumbbell?&nbsp;</b><br /><br />This whole \"fitness\" thing, as I found out very early on, is <b>80% nutrition</b>. Back when this all started I learned very quickly that in order to survive the intense workouts of P90X, and later INSANITY and so on, I had to <b>eat right </b>to properly <b>fuel my body</b>. Because...well...<br /><br /><b>As it turns out, </b>potato skins and chicken tenders don\'t get it done.&nbsp; <br /><br />There are a few important things to know in order to meet your nutrition goals.<br /><br /><b>How Much Should I Be Eating To Gain/Lose/Maintain?</b><br /><br />I feel like many people don\'t know that there is a <b>magic number</b> of calories to eat to maintain your weight. To keep this simple, we\'ll call this your \"Caloric Maintenance Level\" or \"CML\".<br />There are several formulas out there and a million \"calculators\" to figure out your CML, but MANY of them are inaccurate. We\'ll use \"<b>The Mifflin St Jeor Equation\"</b> since it seems to be the most accurate one out there <i>for those who don\'t know their body fat %</i>. This equation will give you your \"BMR\" or \"Basal Metabolic Rate\" which is the base calories your body needs to survive if you were in a coma:<br /><br />MEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] + 5<br />WOMEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] -161<br /><br /><b>Now multiply that number</b> by what I\'m going to call \"The Fitness Factor\" (choose based on activity level)-<br />1.2 = Sedentary (Desk job, little \"real\" exercise - sit around a lot)<br />1.3 - 1.4 = Light Activity (light exercise 1 - 3 days per week, light activity job...walking a bit)<br />1.5 - 1.6 = Moderate Activity (moderate exercise 3 - 5 days/week, waitress or other \"moving\" job)<br />1.7 - 1.8 = High Activity (hard exercise 6 - 7 days/week, physically demanding lifestyle)<br />1.9 - 2.2 = Extreme Activity (athlete in endurance training, VERY Active physicaly-engaging job)<br /><br />Odds are you probably fall somewhere between Sedentary or Moderate. So, multiply your BMR by your \"Fitness Factor\" and that is ROUGHLY your Caloric Maintenance Level. THIS IS NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE but it\'s about as close as we can hope to come without some kind of sports performance lab.<br /><br /><b>That was a lot of math - now what?</b><br /><br />So that\'s your \"caloric maintenance level\". That\'s the number of calories you would need to eat in a day to remain the weight you are. Yes, I said that was a <b>magic number</b> of calories to eat to maintain your weight, but <b>that\'s only if you eat the right foods</b> (we\'ll come back to this).<br /><br /><b>I\'m assuming you\'d like to lose weight?</b>&nbsp;<b> </b>If so, you need to create a <b>calorie deficit</b>. What\'s that? That\'s eating less than your CML. You generally will lose 1 lb per week if you eat a daily 500 calorie deficit (ex. your CML is 2500 calories per day, you would eat 2000 per day to lose 1 lb per week). If you want to lose 2 lbs per week, 1000 calorie deficit. <b>Note: this works in reverse for gaining weight</b>.<br /><br />Most sources I\'ve seen out there say <b>it\'s not safe to try to lose more than 2 lbs per week</b>. I understand your results may vary, but it\'s not a good idea - <b>GENERALLY</b> - to go out there on a 2000 calorie deficit because you want to lose 4 lbs per week. There\'s also a base level of calories they say you shouldn\'t go under - I believe it\'s 1200 for women and 1700 for men. I could be wrong. <br /><br /><b>Another note: EATING TOO LITTLE IS JUST AS BAD AS EATING TOO MUCH</b>. Your body can go into \"starvation mode\" if it sees you\'re not getting enough food - you\'ll hold onto fat and may become \"catabolic\" - which means rather than breaking down fat and food for fuel, it will break down MUSCLE that you\'re working so hard to build! (That\'s bad). So make sure you keep it to a 500 or 1000 calorie deficit, NO MORE.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><span></span><span></span></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PAuQE0eYmOA/Ufpa6bvTkiI/AAAAAAAABEw/v88zHw9PouI/s1600/2121272.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"224\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PAuQE0eYmOA/Ufpa6bvTkiI/AAAAAAAABEw/v88zHw9PouI/s320/2121272.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><br /><b>OK - I know how much to eat...but what am I eating?</b><br /><br />No, the answer is not \"Pizza, chicken, veggies and soda\". In order to build a healthy meal plan for yourself you have to understand what exactly your eating. There\'s these things called <b>macro-nutrients </b>and <b>micro-nutrients</b>. We\'ll worry about micro-nutrients later - that\'s some advanced stuff. <br /><br /><b>Macro-nutrients?</b><br /><br />Don\'t worry, it sounds WAY more complicated than it is. <b>Protein</b>, <b>Carbohydrates</b> and <b>Fat</b> are the three macro-nutrients. I\'m no food scientist, but I\'ll be bold here and say everything you eat is, among other things, made up of these macro-nutrients. <b>NONE OF THESE THREE THINGS ARE BAD. </b><b><b>Protein</b> </b>is not just for muscle-heads at the gym<b>. Carbs</b> are not bad, no matter what some \"diet\" programs tell you (diet is a 4-letter word!). <b>Fat</b> is not bad, you need a certain amount of it to survive, but too much can be bad. <br /><br /><u><b>It\'s all about how much of each you take in</b>.</u> The right balance will take you a long way to getting the results you want. Many sources will tell you to follow a particular ratio - When I was following the P90X nutrition guide that\'s where I got this idea from. There are also some sources out there that tell you following ratios are bad. I\'ll go into all the specifics on this later, but to get you in the right direction I\'ll start you with what I started with:<br /><br /><br /><b>50% Protein, 30% carb, 20% fat. That\'s what one program I did called \"fat shredder\". </b><br /><br />It\'s a high-protein-based diet to help build muscle while burning fat. <b>PLEASE do not take this as \"the one true way\". </b>This is supposed to be \"The <b>Basics</b>\" and this is just <u><b>one</b></u> way to get you started. I am going to go in-depth on macro-nutrients in another article, but this is a starter to take you in the right direction. Also, this works best when you\'re putting forth some kind of effort to work out. Then again, <b>life </b>works best when you\'re putting forth some kind of effort to work out.<br /><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6aL08Jo9dCU/UfpizV3KdnI/AAAAAAAABFA/BIvp_6OW-Qg/s1600/40222467.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6aL08Jo9dCU/UfpizV3KdnI/AAAAAAAABFA/BIvp_6OW-Qg/s400/40222467.jpg\" width=\"337\" /></a></div><br /><b>NO.</b> It doesn\'t. I\'ve seen and heard about this \"If It Fits Your Macros\" thing. That is wrong - it\'s an excuse to eat something you want that you know isn\'t all that great for you. That\'s all I\'ll say on \"IIFYM\".<br /><b> </b><br />There are a lot of things that I stopped eating when I began my journey. I stopped drinking soda, I stopped eating deep-fried foods, I switched to whole grain bread instead of white, I SERIOUSLY dropped my fat intake, etc. I made a LOT of changes, some of them hard. It may not have been easy, but I had a pretty serious motivator (see <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/findingfitness\" target=\"_blank\">my story</a> if you need a refresher) so I stuck with it. I\'m not saying you have to <b>completely</b> cut all these things out, but you should start scaling back so that, eventually, you can cut it out. Once again, I\'ll go into more depth on what\'s not all that great and why later on (it ties in with macro-nutrients) but suffice it to say, all these bad-for-you things will take your macro-nutrients out of whack and GENERALLY increase your fat intake.<br /><br /><u><b>This isn\'t about depriving yourself.</b></u> This is about teaching yourself how to <b>eat right</b> and give your body what it <i>really </i>needs, not what you\'ve been made to think you want. I am super-happy with the things I eat, and people look at me sideways telling me I need to cheat once in a while. <b>I do</b>, it\'s just not what <i>they </i>would consider cheating. So many people \"diet\" then gain it all back, say <b>nothing works</b> because they don\'t really <b>learn</b> how to eat right and get better habits. I don\'t <b>\"diet\"</b>, <b>\"diets\" fail. \"Diets\" </b>don\'t <i>teach </i>you anything - they do the thinking for you. I just <i>follow good nutrition</i>. <br /><br /><u><b>You can too.</b></u>','So THIS Is Nutrition... The Basics','','publish','open','open','','so-this-is-nutrition-the-basics','','','2017-01-14 00:56:59','2017-01-14 05:56:59','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=123',0,'post','',0),(124,1,'2013-07-28 19:47:00','2013-07-28 23:47:00','<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bi4WILLVnm0/UfUjMKX4XhI/AAAAAAAABDY/sdft9DIatIc/s1600/nbfrr.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"152\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bi4WILLVnm0/UfUjMKX4XhI/AAAAAAAABDY/sdft9DIatIc/s320/nbfrr.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div>So, two weeks from this very moment (at least, the very moment I\'m typing this) the gun will go off and the 41st running of the Falmouth Road Race will begin. 10 minutes later the 5th corral will be allowed to start and off I\'ll go. A few minutes later, the 6th corral and off goes my fiancee Megan.<br /><br />Holy. <b>Crap.</b><br /><br />This is what we\'ve been working up to since March (whether we knew it or not) when we went for that first run.<br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><br />That\'s great Darrell, but <b>what if I don\'t know what the Falmouth Road Race is?</b><br /><br />The&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.falmouthroadrace.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Falmouth Road Race</a><b> (which is kind of a big deal) </b>is a 7.4 mile road race from Woods Hole to Falmouth Heights. The course goes by&nbsp;<a href=\"http://lighthouse.cc/nobska/\" target=\"_blank\">Nobska Lighthouse</a>, along some scenic roads, along Surf Drive (and its beaches), along the beach at Falmouth Heights, all the way around Grand Ave. down to the finish line in front of the British Beer Company. They cap the total number of race participants somewhere around <b>12,500</b>, and they have elite runners from around the world fly in to run this thing. <br /><br /><b>And then there\'s us</b>.<br /><br /><b>***UPDATE***</b><br /><br />So I took a break in writing this post to actually go run the course with Megan. <b>Boy am I glad I did</b>.&nbsp;<b> </b>We learned a lot about the course and we\'re definitely better prepared.<br /><br /><b>OK, so...w</b><b>hy are you two running this?</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zoNCdnybAAs/UfVv5rJNztI/AAAAAAAABDo/JljZJHVx6xY/s1600/413342_10100859894935542_1060323499_o.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"233\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zoNCdnybAAs/UfVv5rJNztI/AAAAAAAABDo/JljZJHVx6xY/s320/413342_10100859894935542_1060323499_o.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><b>&nbsp;I\'m running</b> as a part of Team Lanzoni. That\'s the <a href=\"http://www.99restaurants.com/\" target=\"_blank\">99 Restaurants</a> team. Team Lanzoni is a part of <a href=\"http://www.rundanafarber.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Dana-Farber Cancer Institute running programs</a>. That means that I\'m running to raise money for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.<br /><br /><b>Why?</b><br /><br />My Grandfather - Peter Scuteri. A loving husband and father, retired Malden police officer and pilot of the Malden PD K-9 program, Freemason, Shriner, and all-around hero. He passed away from cancer last July. The short story is, during his battle with cancer, he received care from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Dana-Farber helped my grandfather in his battle, and I wanted to use a run to raise money for them so someone else could have a fighting chance too. My other reasons for running, yes - even my new-found health and fitness, pale in comparison to this reason.<br /><br /><b>What about Megan?</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ssbauTRk6ZQ/UfVyCQu7HuI/AAAAAAAABEA/rvVIyQVvoi4/s1600/977838_531255300265466_820475099_o.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ssbauTRk6ZQ/UfVyCQu7HuI/AAAAAAAABEA/rvVIyQVvoi4/s320/977838_531255300265466_820475099_o.jpg\" width=\"200\" /></a></div>My fiancee Megan is running the race for a different reason. Megan\'s brother - Chris Boselli - passed away last summer from complications with heart surgery. He was 27 years old. His passing rocked her family in a way I can\'t even properly describe to you. Her family set up a memorial scholarship fund in his name to honor him by helping others who share his love of theatre and the arts. Originally, Megan had been trying to run the Falmouth Road Race on a team to raise money for this scholarship fund. <b>UNFORTUNATELY</b>, the team was not selected in the lottery.<br /><br />She still wanted to run the race. For herself and, I think, for him.<br /><br />So, long story short, she (and her sister, Kim) are running as a part of the <a href=\"http://www.westfalmouthlibrary.org/\" target=\"_blank\">West Falmouth Library</a> team to raise money for them. Megan went with this because, of all the fundraising opportunities available to her, this one made the most sense. Megan always has a book on her and reads like its her job. If she couldn\'t raise money for her brother\'s memorial, being able to support a place that helps others with the same hobby/habit/problem (hah) as her is a great compromise. While I have surpassed my own fundraising goal through the help of the people at Team Lanzoni HQ, Megan has not yet achieved her fundraising goal.<br /><br /><b>This is where I\'m calling on you, faithful friends and readers</b>.<br /><br />Please visit <a href=\"https://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/MeganBoselli/2013-new-balance-falmouth-road-race\" target=\"_blank\">Megan\'s personal fundraising page</a> and consider making a donation to help her towards her $1,000 goal. As of my writing, she is at $170. There\'s a yard sale this coming weekend to raise money towards the goal, but it\'d take way more stuff to sell than we have in order to achieve that.<br /><br /><b>Please consider helping and contributing to a great cause</b>. Megan has until August 6th to raise the money she needs - I have a few weeks after that. It would mean a lot to me if you could help her out.<br /><br />That said - the training continues. Two weeks from this moment the two of us will be celebrating a great achievement and looking forward towards the next. It\'s all about the journey.','Our First REAL Challenge - Falmouth Road Race','','publish','open','open','','our-first-real-challenge-falmouth-road-race','','','2017-01-14 08:51:37','2017-01-14 13:51:37','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=124',0,'post','',0),(125,1,'2013-07-26 13:57:00','2013-07-26 17:57:00','<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-roXayL-pktU/UfD-CtE2EVI/AAAAAAAABAo/ur-zuMH1c90/s1600/fat-scale2.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"211\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-roXayL-pktU/UfD-CtE2EVI/AAAAAAAABAo/ur-zuMH1c90/s320/fat-scale2.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><br />I tried incredibly hard - probably WAY harder than I should have - to come up with a catchy title for this article...but when it comes right down to it...it\'s really simple. The Scale - the common bathroom scale - is a major reason why workouts fail.<br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9lacERfSFIM/UfHEZMkksnI/AAAAAAAABB0/mbAefPsgQzs/s1600/g137479893039795542.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9lacERfSFIM/UfHEZMkksnI/AAAAAAAABB0/mbAefPsgQzs/s320/g137479893039795542.jpg\" width=\"288\" /></a></div><br /><b>Yeah,</b> you heard me right. The Scale is a problem. There are a few reasons why, but The Scale is Public Enemy No. 1 in workout world. The Scale contributes in a HUGE way to what I\'m calling \"Perceived Lack of Results\". \"PLOR\" is why an incredible number of people get frustrated and just <i>give up</i>.&nbsp; The scale can make you think you\'re on top of the world or a complete and total failure.<br /><br />It\'s all. About. <b>The Scale.</b><br /><br /><b>The Scale Doesn\'t Lie -&nbsp;</b><br /><br />As a matter of fact, The Scale is incredibly honest. <b>Too </b>honest. The Scale doesn\'t know how to lie - It knows how to do one thing: Tell you exactly what you weigh.<b>&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><b>Isn\'t that the point?</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XMDGVH42Awo/UfD-F7uRiEI/AAAAAAAABA4/_U4ypkJ02d8/s1600/scaleislying.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XMDGVH42Awo/UfD-F7uRiEI/AAAAAAAABA4/_U4ypkJ02d8/s1600/scaleislying.jpg\" /></a></div>Yes and no. The Scale will tell you what you weigh, but the problem is there are a lot of factors that play into how much, exactly, you weigh RIGHT NOW. How much you weigh over time. Your weight loss or gain trends. <b></b>Stress, sodium intake, hydration (or lack thereof), sweating, fat loss/gain and muscle loss/gain all affect what you weigh. And don\'t forget - the food you actually eat throughout the day weighs something too! All of these things can play into a false sense of where you\'re at when you step onto the scale. <br /><br /><b>So far I\'ve thrown a lot of information at you</b>, even though it may not seem like it. Let\'s take it one bite at a time (hah, I made a funny).<br /><br /><br /><b>Stress -&nbsp;</b><br /><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SmZanRfpS_I/UfHk_rNMQsI/AAAAAAAABCE/HQs9s8uGAKw/s1600/40052119.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SmZanRfpS_I/UfHk_rNMQsI/AAAAAAAABCE/HQs9s8uGAKw/s320/40052119.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a>Being under high levels of stress, which isn\'t uncommon these days, can lead to weight gain (or to the scale staying the same - we\'ll come back to that) as discussed in <a href=\"http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/stress-weight-gain\" target=\"_blank\">this article on WebMD</a>, <a href=\"http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=77964\" target=\"_blank\">this article on MedicineNet</a>, and <a href=\"http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/weightgain.htm\" target=\"_blank\">this post on About.com Health.</a> I\'m taking away three distinct factors from all these (and more) discussions about stress and weight gain -<br /><br />1. When you\'re stressed your body enters a primal \"fight or flight\" mode and generates a number of hormones, including Cortisol. Cortisol serves to facilitate fat and carbohydrate metabolism, but it also triggers insulin release to help regulate blood sugar. The end result is YOU craving more high-carb high-sugar foods. Helloooooo tub-o-ice cream.<br /><br />2. Cortisol, a result of stress, causes your body to store fat deep in the abdominal area. This not only produces an INCREDIBLY attractive gut-like appearance in the belly, but it\'s also the kind of fat store that can lead to health issues.<br /><br />3. When you\'re stressed there\'s lots of nervous energy that needs to be expended - your body and mind have to find a comforting activity. Many times, eating becomes that comforting activity and, HOW CONVENIENT - you can go ahead and nom on that high-sugar high-carb stuff you\'re craving as a result of cortisol release. <u>Perfect</u>.<br /><br /><b>Sodium Intake, Hydration / De-hydration and sweating-</b><br /><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"><tbody><tr><td style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rRdH4l3bDjY/UfJ9Htm42uI/AAAAAAAABDI/HYYHplGqsC4/s1600/sodium_chart.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"234\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rRdH4l3bDjY/UfJ9Htm42uI/AAAAAAAABDI/HYYHplGqsC4/s320/sodium_chart.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=\"text-align: center;\">Where does all that salt come from?</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The ideal daily sodium intake is around 2,300 mg. I don\'t know if you\'ve looked at sodium levels in some of the foods you eat, but it can be INCREDIBLY difficult to keep sodium levels low...<b>especially</b> if you eat out at all. The chart to the right shows you where all the salt in your food comes from - if you look at it you\'ll see why the more \"processed\" food you eat, and the more \"processed\" it is, the more salt you can\'t help but take in. Increased sodium levels make you retain water (don\'t believe me? Google it). Retaining water makes you weigh more - water has weight, right? Totally makes sense. If you decide you\'re gonna stop drinking water and get pretty dehydrated - yeah, the scale is probably going to look a little bit better, but you\'ll be disappointed next week/month when you weigh in and you\'re hydrated differently than the last time.<br /><br />And just like taking in or not taking in enough water can affect your weight - you\'re obviously going to weigh less after you\'ve just gotten done sweating out a bunch of water. In my experience, I can sweat out 1-2 lbs of water (maybe even more) during a super-intense workout (1+ hours), yours may vary, but that IS a significant amount of weight just from sweating. Your body will replenish it when you have that post-workout \"oh-my-god-I\'m-dying-of-thirst\" water guzzle, so this is an even more temporary fluctuation than the others, but it <b>is</b> a weight fluctuation just the same.<br /><br /><b>Food Weighs Something -&nbsp;</b><br />This one\'s quick, easy and obvious - the food you eat weighs something. If you weigh yourself before you eat in the morning you will weigh less than if you weighed yourself after eating. Every time. There is no food out there that makes you lighter after you eat it (and if there is, tell me!).&nbsp;<b> </b><br /><br />And this leaves me with my favorite point to make, and the one that, I think, really brings this whole article together:<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TdPnZ9KnSJA/UfHocB09ynI/AAAAAAAABCU/cEgN_gC8F60/s1600/l560655519.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"246\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TdPnZ9KnSJA/UfHocB09ynI/AAAAAAAABCU/cEgN_gC8F60/s320/l560655519.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><br /><u><b>MUSCLE WEIGHS MORE THAN FAT -</b></u><br />No, this is not just some kind of corny line - volume-wise, muscle weighs more than fat. Think of it like a pound of feathers and a pound of gold - it\'s gonna take a super-huge pile of feathers to weigh a pound - that pile is going to take up a lot of space. The same weight of gold is small, sleek and in a tight tiny package. Same goes for muscle and fat. Fat is less dense than muscle, thus 5 lbs of fat takes up a lot more real estate than muscle.<br /><br /><b>Let\'s put it another way that\'s easier to understand:</b><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4mnYqJRIzl8/UfJ7dz_-Y3I/AAAAAAAABC8/9Ud5_4q7-AE/s1600/deb155lbs-300x286.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4mnYqJRIzl8/UfJ7dz_-Y3I/AAAAAAAABC8/9Ud5_4q7-AE/s1600/deb155lbs-300x286.jpg\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vb_0iPtGfQA/UfHuoZaZuAI/AAAAAAAABCk/AhY-_JYGitQ/s1600/fat-vs-muscle1.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"166\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vb_0iPtGfQA/UfHuoZaZuAI/AAAAAAAABCk/AhY-_JYGitQ/s320/fat-vs-muscle1.jpg\" width=\"320\" />&nbsp;</a> </div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yQ_-RUP8-dE/UfD-J2HcexI/AAAAAAAABBI/P5NdKld4EJ0/s1600/tumblr_lx8xnaiI1I1qm62nmo1_1280.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"248\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yQ_-RUP8-dE/UfD-J2HcexI/AAAAAAAABBI/P5NdKld4EJ0/s640/tumblr_lx8xnaiI1I1qm62nmo1_1280.jpg\" width=\"640\" /></a></div><b>&nbsp;</b> <b>Starting to get the picture?</b><br /><br />Muscle is tighter and denser than fat - same weight, smaller package. If the scale doesn\'t move, or barely moves, it\'s likely because you\'re building muscle while at the same time burning fat. The more muscle you have in your body the more calories you\'ll burn - your body has to burn calories to feed all the muscle on your body.&nbsp;<b> That\'s a good thing</b>. Don\'t be afraid of building muscle.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dNFc4U9EOrM/UfHBvAsh_qI/AAAAAAAABBo/0qts1JWS9qQ/s1600/g1374796551146990904.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dNFc4U9EOrM/UfHBvAsh_qI/AAAAAAAABBo/0qts1JWS9qQ/s320/g1374796551146990904.jpg\" width=\"251\" /></a></div><br /><b>No. Not necessarily.&nbsp; </b>Wasn\'t the goal to burn fat? Get healthy? Get fit? Yes, you\'ll lose some weight, but it\'s going&nbsp; to come to a point where you stop losing weight so rapidly. You might even stay the same for a while. This could be a true plateau or it could just be some muscle gain (I\'ll cover true plateaus in another article), but either one can be overcome. I lost 107 lbs so far - it did not steadily come off 5 - 10 lbs per week. There were weeks I didn\'t lose weight. There were weeks I GAINED a little. You have to think LONG TERM with your weight-loss and fitness goals. <b>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and neither was your body</b>. Be confident in what you\'re doing and believe in yourself. If you get so frustrated that you want to smash the scale and throw it out the window...well...I\'ll pretend I didn\'t see you do it.<br /><br /><b>So, what? I can\'t trust The Scale?</b><br /><br />Like I said - The Scale will ALWAYS tell you <b>exactly</b> what you weigh...at that moment...with no regard for muscle vs. fat, hydration, stress, etc. <u>Weigh yourself at your own risk</u>. Don\'t weigh yourself more than once a week - definitely not daily. The number The Scale tells you is NOT the only number in the world that matters. <b><u>Trust other measurement methods</u></b><u>.</u> How do you FEEL? How do you LOOK? Are your clothes fitting looser? Can you tighten your belt more? Do you see more muscle definition when you flex? Has your body fat % gone down? Don\'t let the number The Scale tells you skew the image you see in the mirror.<br /><br />When you start a program and take your \"before\" pictures, whip out a measuring tape and get your measurements - neck, chest, waist, hips, thighs, biceps, calves, etc. You\'ll be glad you did, because THOSE are the measurements that count. If those are changing in a positive direction, <b>the weight will follow.</b> Believe in yourself and stay positive - don\'t let The Scale make you think you\'re failing. <br /><u><b> </b></u>','Why Workouts Fail #2 - The Scale','','publish','open','open','','why-workouts-fail-2-the-scale','','','2017-01-14 08:50:55','2017-01-14 13:50:55','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=125',0,'post','',0),(126,1,'2013-07-23 12:33:00','2013-07-23 16:33:00','<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><br />6:20 AM. Only slept about 5 hours. Do I want to work out right now? No. Is it Leg Day again? Yes.<br /><br />Sh!t. It\'s gonna be one of those days.<br /><br />I would honestly love nothing more right now than to just go back to bed, pretend it\'s a rest day, and just relax. I\'m tired. <b>I don\'t feel like it.</b> Wah. I just lack motivation right now. As I sit here writing an article for my fitness blog. Ironic.<br /><br /><b>Or is it? </b>How many people out there in fitness land suffer from this exact same issue at LEAST every once in a while? How about every day? How do people motivate themselves to continually plug away at it. Day in and day out. Throwing themselves at a workout, hurling themselves down the pavement, turning on that motor that never seems to run out of gas?<br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C5-whDW2v58/Ue5f-I2wptI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/jzWf68QBIYk/s1600/health-and-fitness-motivation-by-elisa.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"208\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C5-whDW2v58/Ue5f-I2wptI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/jzWf68QBIYk/s320/health-and-fitness-motivation-by-elisa.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div>Maybe it\'s the knowledge that if we don\'t get moving - if we don\'t kick-start ourselves - we\'ll regret it later. This is a post both for the fitness freaks and the workout newbies. Why? Because we all fight the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siren\" target=\"_blank\">Siren</a>\'s Call of our pillow, of the couch, of anything that ISN\'T our running shoes, dumbbells, bike...or otherwise sweat-related item. <br /><br />In my last post (<a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.blogspot.com/2013/07/defeating-demotivators-1-fear-monster.html\" target=\"_blank\">Defeating Demotivators #1 - The Fear Monster</a>) I mentioned that for newbies or pre-newbies suffering from The Fear Monster being surrounded by positivity and encouragement was key to getting them to stick with it. I said it was <b>incredibly important </b>to be <u>gentle</u>. What about for those of us who are already hardcore into fitness? Or who have broken past the fear barrier and do work?<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cUUMP6WVeaY/Ue5f_RrBZII/AAAAAAAAA_w/Xtpc0_egyYY/s1600/motivation-motivation-demotivational-poster-1276385776.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"311\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cUUMP6WVeaY/Ue5f_RrBZII/AAAAAAAAA_w/Xtpc0_egyYY/s320/motivation-motivation-demotivational-poster-1276385776.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><b>&nbsp;We reach a point where \"gentle\" doesn\'t WORK anymore.</b><br /><b><br /></b>Sometimes a soft nudge doesn\'t do it anymore. Let\'s be real - if you\'re that guy on the lookout for people who can\'t get the courage to work out, if you\'re the person helping others...and YOU can\'t get yourself to the gym / road / mat / etc...maybe a shove is more like it. <br /><br /><b>Or maybe it\'s not.</b><br /><br /><br /><br /><b>What really motivates people?</b><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><b><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vlAYFt2tiOo/Ue5iCc2opRI/AAAAAAAABAQ/R_XVc-DDF04/s1600/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs1.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"297\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vlAYFt2tiOo/Ue5iCc2opRI/AAAAAAAABAQ/R_XVc-DDF04/s400/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs1.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></b></div><b>I am not</b> a psychologist, but there is a real psychological science to motivation. This, above, is called <a href=\"https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=2&amp;cad=rja&amp;ved=0CDwQFjAB&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMaslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs&amp;ei=cWfuUaiUC7Ol4AOSuYDQDw&amp;usg=AFQjCNE1hgavOArsQBk9HwO0e6X-U8qpng&amp;sig2=rab1uf4dbGT_HfsfQyb9sA&amp;bvm=bv.49478099,d.dmg\" target=\"_blank\">Maslow\'s Hierarcy of Needs</a> (created by <a href=\"http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;cad=rja&amp;ved=0CC8QFjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FAbraham_Maslow&amp;ei=cWfuUaiUC7Ol4AOSuYDQDw&amp;usg=AFQjCNGI6Jp4R78vGqzKYXvxA1Cr8M1fvw&amp;sig2=-Rqq4KD3t-G4aC0sGcXIsg&amp;bvm=bv.49478099,d.dmg\" target=\"_blank\">Abraham Maslow</a> - an American Psychologist). It breaks down the structure of people\'s motivation. It\'s not designed around fitness, but we can definitely apply it for our purposes. People work out for different reasons, and I would say these reasons all fall into the top four parts of the pyramid. Moving forward, an important principle of this hierarchy is to understand that Maslow said people will be more motivated to fulfill lower-order needs before higher-order ones - we\'ll also assume that you\'re properly fed, hydrated and rested so we can ignore the bottom tier (I\'m REALLY simplifying this).<br /><br /><br /><b>Safety Needs</b> - This is INTENDED to talk about people taking care of their own personal safety and security - ensuring they are not in immediate danger. Makes sense, right? Tough to paint a picture if someone\'s pointing a gun at your head. <b>That\'s the idea here</b>. Let\'s adapt this tier for fitness.<br /><br />This is where people who have a <b>dire </b>health issue from lack of fitness/nutrition get their motivation. When your doctor looks you in the face and tells you that you\'re so overweight you\'re going to get diabetes and potentially lose your sight or your foot...well I think that\'s enough motivation to get to the gym, don\'t you? These people generally don\'t need much more of a kick in the pants than that. I was not quite that large, so this wasn\'t enough for me.<br /><br /><b>Belongingness and Love Needs - </b>This is people\'s need for friends, intimate relationships, love, etc. We are social creatures, and once we\'ve taken care of the basic \"survival\" needs of food/water/rest and the safety need of not being in immediate danger we move on to the need for other people. <br /><br /><b>This is one of the biggest motivators out there</b>. This is why Crossfit is so successful. This is why so many people can\'t get off their butts and do work without a workout partner. <b>People need people</b>. So many people can\'t/won\'t do it for themselves, but if they can become accepted and part of a community...we have found the key to the kingdom. Crossfit (from my outsider perspective) is <b>a community</b> of people helping each other and kicking each other\'s butts into gear. People like to be a <b>part of something</b>. That\'s why people join clubs in school. If you know the other guy is going to give you a whole world of hassle for not showing up at the gym today, YOU\'RE GONNA GO. People who feel they are physically unattractive and want to be able to land a girlfriend/boyfriend would also fall into this category, but I am inclined to think most people who feel they are physically unattractive fall into the next tier.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lgAXtgyrWGA/Ue5gA2KhNPI/AAAAAAAABAA/GDxYQAfpJUE/s1600/tumblr_mkgrklfVOJ1s8wkh1o1_500.png\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lgAXtgyrWGA/Ue5gA2KhNPI/AAAAAAAABAA/GDxYQAfpJUE/s320/tumblr_mkgrklfVOJ1s8wkh1o1_500.png\" width=\"196\" /></a></div><b>Esteem Needs -</b> This tier is about people who have met the basic survival needs, who feel like they belong and have their people-needs met (for the most part, at least) and can focus on themselves. They can make themselves feel better. They can focus on their own self-esteem.<br /><br /><b>These are the people who are not happy with the picture in the mirror</b>. These are the people who want that ripped six-pack and are tired of the gut. The people who want to <b>accomplish </b>something. These people sometimes need the MOST motivation of all, because in general...they\'re pretty satisfied. I\'m pretty sure I fall into this category. The health issue wasn\'t enough for me, I was already in a committed relationship and had friends and family all around me, so I know it wasn\'t the other two tiers. <i>So how do I know I\'m not the next tier?</i> There are days when I\'m just <b>not feeling it</b>. I don\'t WANNA. I\'ll be bold and say that these are the people who, when they don\'t get off their butts, need a swift kick in the tail to get moving. These are the people who can do it, who usually want to do it, and generally <b>are </b>doing it - for themselves. When you\'re not doing it for someone else, for acceptance, for belonging...it\'s easy to skip a day. When <b>you\'re</b> the only one holding <b>you</b> accountable you\'re more inclined to <i>cut yourself some slack. </i>It\'s OK...you\'ve been working hard. You deserve a break. I won\'t tell the boss.<br /><br /><b>GARBAGE.</b><br /><br /><b>Get up. GET OUT. And <u>do work.</u>&nbsp; </b>You\'re not going to feel TRULY FULFILLED unless you go do that workout! Run that 5 miler. Whatever it is, it\'s for you. Make <b>you</b> happy. Because, really...<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dJbQEsJuVHg/Ue5f_AnPn7I/AAAAAAAAA_o/zmNkhIq2LMo/s1600/too-busy.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"240\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dJbQEsJuVHg/Ue5f_AnPn7I/AAAAAAAAA_o/zmNkhIq2LMo/s320/too-busy.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><div style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Your excuse is invalid.</b></div><div style=\"text-align: left;\"><br /></div><div style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Self-Actualization</b> - This tier is my favorite. The whole rest of the pyramid has been \"extrinsic\" motivation - people getting their motivation from outside sources. Something is pushing them to do their workout. People who are in the self-actualization tier are doing it from a completely intrinsic motivation.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GUQ5ELVNwX8/Ue5f-KghdUI/AAAAAAAAA_U/m_7IhQoM6J0/s1600/21110_448316405251402_917372794_n.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GUQ5ELVNwX8/Ue5f-KghdUI/AAAAAAAAA_U/m_7IhQoM6J0/s320/21110_448316405251402_917372794_n.jpg\" width=\"248\" /></a></div><b> </b><br /><div style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>These people love to work out. </b>They are doing it for the sheer <i>joy </i>of  it. They\'re trying to reach their full potential. They\'re trying to  make their masterpiece. They don\'t need a self-esteem boost - <b>they\'re already awesome.</b> They don\'t need acceptance. They\'re not facing a health risk. <b>These are the \"obsessed nutballs\" </b>who do an hour workout, run 5 miles in record time then come back and <b>DO ANOTHER WORKOUT</b>. They are climbing Mt. Freaking Everest and loving every minute of it. If you are one of these people, congratulations my friend -&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: left;\"><br /></div><div style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>You have reached the mountaintop.</b></div><div style=\"text-align: left;\"><br /></div><div style=\"text-align: left;\">I HOPE that I get to this point. Yes, I really enjoy the workout program I\'m doing right now. Body Beast is freaking AWESOME. It is, however, still <u>work.</u> And work sucks. For the \"obsessed nutballs\", workouts are not work at all. <b>They are fun. They are <u>playtime</u>. They are <i>recreation. </i></b></div><div style=\"text-align: left;\"><br /></div><div style=\"text-align: left;\">Whatever tier you fall into, whatever it is that motivates you...one thing holds true for everyone:</div><div style=\"text-align: center;\"><br /></div><div style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>You need to get out there and DO IT.</b>&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: center;\">Be healthy. Be accepted. Be happy. Be <b>awesome.&nbsp;&nbsp;</b></div><div style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>&nbsp;</b>Take today by the balls and <b><u>own it</u>.</b></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kIRzLfkSPRs/Ue5f--CJE5I/AAAAAAAAA_k/anvIKB88Bgk/s1600/Arnold-Conquer-workoutmotivation.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"200\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kIRzLfkSPRs/Ue5f--CJE5I/AAAAAAAAA_k/anvIKB88Bgk/s320/Arnold-Conquer-workoutmotivation.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><div style=\"text-align: left;\"></div>','Conquer - The Truth About Motivation','','publish','open','open','','conquer-the-truth-about-motivation','','','2017-01-08 17:03:10','2017-01-08 22:03:10','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=126',0,'post','',0),(127,1,'2013-07-22 18:43:00','2013-07-22 22:43:00','In the spirit of \"Motivational Monday\" I want to take a moment to touch on something I was talking about with a fitness friend at work over the last couple of days. It\'s actually a loose end I need to tie up from the last couple of articles I wrote. In <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-inconvenience-factor-accepting.html\" target=\"_blank\">The \"I Don\'t Feel Like It\" Syndrome</a> I talked about people who just won\'t get off the couch, can\'t/won\'t get motivated to work out in the first place, and never take that all-important first step. In <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.blogspot.com/2013/07/why-workouts-fail-1-napoleon-complex.html\" target=\"_blank\">Why Workouts Fail #1 - The Napoleon Complex</a> (my favorite article so far) I talk about people who take the leap, try going to the gym or working out and run into a big issue that drives them away.<br /><br />Ok...what about the people in the middle?<br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><br />The people who aren\'t entirely opposed to working out, but haven\'t taken that step yet? Who haven\'t braved the gym, the home-gym, the pavement, trail, pool, whatever? Or tried and gave up? If these people aren\'t against it...and they might have some motivation to do it...why haven\'t they gotten to it yet?<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-faudmiPbRak/UeyzCH_wxaI/AAAAAAAAA90/m5x8O_9cURQ/s1600/fear-is-a-prison.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"255\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-faudmiPbRak/UeyzCH_wxaI/AAAAAAAAA90/m5x8O_9cURQ/s320/fear-is-a-prison.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><br /><u><b>Fear</b></u>. Fear can stop the most powerful locomotive in its tracks. Fear is, I think, one of the biggest demotivators out there. Fear of what, though? Fear of <b>failing</b>. Fear of not being <i>good enough</i>. Fear of embarassment. Fear of disappointing yourself or others. Fear of doing it wrong. Fear of <b>the unknown</b>.<br /><br />Fear can be one of the toughest demotivators to beat. Especially if someone doesn\'t have friends or family around them who are \"into\" fitness. Unfortunately, unless those people have a big life-altering event or a breaking point like I had (see <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/findingfitness\" target=\"_blank\">My Story</a>) that fear can be so paralyzing and show-stopping that they just never leave the safety of \"not trying\". I would go so far as to say that over time, those people can start to suffer from <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-inconvenience-factor-accepting.html\" target=\"_blank\">The \"I Don\'t Feel Like It\" Syndrome</a>, forgetting the curiosity or motivation they had in the first place and losing it entirely to fear. It\'s tough to get past the fear when you\'re on your own little island and there\'s noone around to help you ease into fitness. If you ARE a fitness type, be on the lookout for these people. How do you tell who these people are, though?<br /><br />For one, <b>they\'re not already a fitness freak</b>. They don\'t work out, they probably don\'t eat \"right\" (but might try to or make half-efforts), and for all intents and purposes they closely resemble the people suffering from <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-inconvenience-factor-accepting.html\" target=\"_blank\">The \"I Don\'t Feel Like It\" Syndrome</a> in all areas except their attitude towards fitness.<br />Though, I will say, that doesn\'t necessarily mean they haven\'t, at some point, attempted to do it on their own. Remember that part where Joey Howyadoin shows up and offers a spot (<a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-inconvenience-factor-accepting.html\" target=\"_blank\">IDFLI Syndrome</a>)? Where I\'d say \"Yeah, that was just a warm-up set, let\'s DO this!\", someone suffering from this demotivator would probably say \"Actually, that was my last set, I\'m all wrapped up. Thanks though!\" while they\'re thinking <i>sweet Lord, get me OUT of here!&nbsp;</i><br /><br />Aaaand that was probably the last time they set foot in anything resembling a gym.<i> </i><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l-HOeEs58jE/Uey6cPuQtFI/AAAAAAAAA-E/sMTfY4vGHR4/s1600/3px4zz.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l-HOeEs58jE/Uey6cPuQtFI/AAAAAAAAA-E/sMTfY4vGHR4/s1600/3px4zz.jpg\" /></a></div><br />The biggest tell, though, is that <b>they\'re curious. </b>They\'ll poke their head in while you\'re working out. They\'ll ask you questions about your workout for the day or the program you\'re doing. They\'ll make little comments that could be a conversation starter. In some form or fashion, <u>they come to you</u>. This is very important - as mentioned before...you just can\'t <b>force</b> someone to get fit...they have to <b>want </b>it...and if they\'re curious, any traumatic workout attempt they might have had in the past is far enough out of their memory that now<b> they\'re open to it</b>.<br /><br /><br /><b>So how do I help this person defeat the demotivator?</b><br /><br /><b>GENTLY. </b>First off, yes - they\'re open to it, and that\'s incredibly important, but don\'t forget...the demotivator we\'re trying to beat is FEAR. I feel silly saying it but please don\'t forget that you can...well...<b>scare them away</b> if you\'re too aggressive. I know, seems obvious, right? What <b>you</b> might think is easy beans might be momentously challenging for them, so keep that in mind as you try to help them<b>, </b>and<b> think of super-easy ways to ease them in.</b><br /><br />Considering that they either have never worked out before or tried something and got scared away you might need to help them figure out what exactly works best for them. <b>&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JLDJ2CCmSqU/Ue14cL33prI/AAAAAAAAA-o/yqmCQdc5QXk/s1600/66869_10152726509630062_1650984556_n.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"277\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JLDJ2CCmSqU/Ue14cL33prI/AAAAAAAAA-o/yqmCQdc5QXk/s320/66869_10152726509630062_1650984556_n.png\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><br /><b>PRO-TIP: Something is better than nothing</b>.<br /><br />You might be a little disappointed when they seem like they\'re trying something that doesn\'t, to you, seem like a \"real\" workout - but again...what <b>YOU</b> think is easy and a waste of time might be super-challenging for them. <b>***Go at their pace***</b> There is no faster way to lose them to the fear than to go beyond their comfort zone. Too fast too soon is a recipe for disaster. I did this exact process with my mom - I started by working out and setting the example. She saw <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey\" target=\"_blank\">my transformation</a> as it was happening and was there as <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/findingfitness\" target=\"_blank\">my story</a> was unfolding, so she was proud of me and wanted to see how I was doing it. I eased her in with Tony Horton\'s 10 Minute Trainer. Literally 10 minute workouts<b>. </b>Over time, she started working in Cardio X from P90X (a 40 minute relatively easy cardio routine), and not too long after that she took on P90X in its entirety and was talking about doing Les Mills COMBAT with me and my fiancee. For your fitness-fearing friend or family member it may be running that does it for them - start with walking. It may be biking - start with a couple miles. Whatever it is (and I can\'t say it enough) <b>ease them into it.</b><br /><br /><b>This may be a slow process. STICK WITH IT!</b><br /><br />What\'s going to be SUPER IMPORTANT with these people is to keep them surrounded by positive images, encouragement and support. If they\'re fighting against fear, its not going to be easy for them, and they\'re going to need continued support until they finally break past the wall and get confident. It could very well be the case that not only do they need a cheerleader on the sidelines, but they need a teammate right there next to them on gameday. If they need a workout partner...<b>be that partner </b>or maybe find one for them. My fiancee was side by side with me throughout four workout programs and 103 lbs - it DEFINITELY helps. Everyone has <i>something</i> that will help them break through the fear barrier - whatever it is, help them find it and make sure they understand that there\'s nothing in their way.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L5f6n7gXfSA/Ue14jICLsnI/AAAAAAAAA-w/wGZB1scQyBo/s1600/fitness-motivation-running-Favim.com-326874.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L5f6n7gXfSA/Ue14jICLsnI/AAAAAAAAA-w/wGZB1scQyBo/s320/fitness-motivation-running-Favim.com-326874.jpg\" width=\"226\" /></a></div><br /><br /><b>At the end of the day it will all be worth it. </b>Don\'t worry - given time and support, they <b>can and will </b>get there. <br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"></div><br />','Defeating Demotivators #1 - The Fear Monster','','publish','open','open','','defeating-demotivators-1-the-fear-monster','','','2017-01-14 00:57:39','2017-01-14 05:57:39','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=127',0,'post','',0),(128,1,'2013-07-21 12:32:00','2013-07-21 16:32:00','I\'ve been doing a lot of thinking about all the reasons why people don\'t work out. I know I covered <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.blogspot.com/2013/07/why-workouts-fail-1-napoleon-complex.html\" target=\"_blank\">the Napoleon complex</a> in another post, but that\'s just one of many reasons. While there are many people out there who suffer from the issues of the Napoleon complex, there are even more who didn\'t even get that far...they don\'t try to start working out in the first place (hence why I didn\'t even call this \"why workouts fail\"...we didn\'t get to the workout yet!). But WHY?<br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AjTPjwp6uQQ/UetkdSWAiaI/AAAAAAAAA80/ClwaGojX5WI/s1600/wall-e-human.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"238\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AjTPjwp6uQQ/UetkdSWAiaI/AAAAAAAAA80/ClwaGojX5WI/s320/wall-e-human.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><br />The short answer is - It requires work, involves change, and people <i>just don\'t</i> <u><b>feel like it</b></u>. Why do we need to when everything is more or less handed to us and made easy? The average American eats what they feel like when they feel like it (and if cooking is required, it can usually be microwaved). They watch a lot of tv, relax on the couch, and don\'t do a whole lot of physical activity (unless required at their job). Yeah, there\'s yard work or some light home / car maintenance to do, but once in a while, or in short bursts of a couple days - nothing regular and routine. They go out for drinks when they feel like it or come up with reasons to have a drink or two (or three) almost every night at home \"because it was a rough day\". Maybe they\'re carrying a little extra weight. So what? All in all, life is good. Nothing stellar, but it\'s not awful.<b>We have achieved mediocrity.</b> Mediocrity is <i>easy</i>.<br /><br />So...why change that?<br /><br />Because, honestly...getting fit, eating right and making a change <b>requires work</b>. And this isn\'t just any kind of work - we\'re talking a complete lifestyle change. That kind of work is <b>hard</b>. People would have to give up or severely limit some of their favorite things - use free time they\'d otherwise spend watching the 100+ hours of DVR\'d T.V. shows they have to, instead, work out and sweat balls.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6M3jnHnNEuA/UevSvUs24WI/AAAAAAAAA9c/zUBTf2FL2sA/s1600/59087-funny-wish-me-luck.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"224\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6M3jnHnNEuA/UevSvUs24WI/AAAAAAAAA9c/zUBTf2FL2sA/s320/59087-funny-wish-me-luck.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><br />All manner of excuses come up at this point - on the surface they\'re all invalid and complete BS as far as I\'m concerned. I won\'t bother listing them all, but suffice it to say - \"I don\'t have time\" is not nearly the most creative one. People will come up with any reason to get people off their case about working out, and if that doesn\'t work, they\'ll either use humor or get hostile until you leave them alone. I was like that for a long time. There are just so many things that can demotivate a person, and they got me.<br /><br />So how do you change that? How do you convince <b>that</b> person to start working out or get healthy?<br /><b> </b><br /><br /><b>Generally...you can\'t.</b><br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cK7vcRLcbEI/Uetb8vg4nMI/AAAAAAAAA8k/DsI3aMVEcpk/s1600/1053.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cK7vcRLcbEI/Uetb8vg4nMI/AAAAAAAAA8k/DsI3aMVEcpk/s400/1053.jpg\" width=\"400\" />&nbsp;</a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><br /></div>I know...not the revelation you were hoping for. Problem is, these people can\'t just be <b>forced</b> to do it. It\'s a big change, and they have to <b>want it. </b>There\'s way too much effort, change and plain ol\' <b>work</b> involved in something like this for it to work without SOME level of personal stake being in it. You can try to drag them into a workout with you, and they might go with it reluctantly...for a while. In the end, it just won\'t maintain. They\'ll complain and find reasons why not...and the first time you don\'t work out with them, they just won\'t do it. Why? Too many people are perfectly satisfied - or at the very least, able to <i>accept </i>- mediocrity.<br /><br /><b>This is the part where something has to happen within them.</b><br /><br />I talk about <b>what happened</b> for me in <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/findingfitness\" target=\"_blank\">My Story</a> - and boy was it bad - but it\'s going to be different for everyone. In the end, something has to happen - some kind of personal revelation or big change - to make them <b>want </b>it. The best you can do is keep making it appear as appealing as you can, <b>lead by example</b>. When they\'re ready, it\'ll make the whole thing much less intimidating. Many times these people will be hesitant to recant and join you since they\'ve been so adamantly, sometimes vocally opposed to this whole process - they can\'t just admit they were wrong and join you (<b>what a blow to the ego!)</b>. So be there and be available. When the time is right, they\'ll come to you. It takes something different for each individual person, but when the right motivation hits, they\'ll finally <b>want it</b>.<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SsNI8S94fn4/UevTXcAAHZI/AAAAAAAAA9k/Aeylil0asq8/s1600/exercise-motivation-required.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"175\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SsNI8S94fn4/UevTXcAAHZI/AAAAAAAAA9k/Aeylil0asq8/s320/exercise-motivation-required.png\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><br />On that note - I\'m gonna go for a run before I work all day. What are YOU gonna do?','The \"I Don\'t Feel Like It\" Syndrome','','publish','open','open','','the-i-dont-feel-like-it-syndrome','','','2017-01-14 00:56:59','2017-01-14 05:56:59','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=128',0,'post','',0),(129,1,'2013-07-20 00:34:00','2013-07-20 04:34:00','<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fw0jU5iLeow/UekvEA0gwTI/AAAAAAAAA70/FSZOEU-D1ig/s1600/napoleon.gif\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img alt=\"Napoleon Bonaparte\" border=\"0\" height=\"214\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fw0jU5iLeow/UekvEA0gwTI/AAAAAAAAA70/FSZOEU-D1ig/s320/napoleon.gif\" title=\"\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--tY10BME1TY/UektrjJFZZI/AAAAAAAAA7o/PLzfycTdFMU/s1600/toomuchweight.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><br /></a></div>So I got to thinking about why workouts fail - ultimately, why people don\'t work out. I was one of those guys for a long LONG time. I just...didn\'t work out. I\'d go to the gym with my Delta Chi brothers and do...kind of a workout. In the end I\'d only go a couple of times a month. I\'d try going on my own since there was a gym conveniently close to my dorm...didn\'t stick with it. Obviously there\'s a LOT of reasons people don\'t work out. Many of these reasons are completely lame and not an excuse...but some are actually pretty justifiable. My workout for today got me thinking about this...and about one reason in particular - the <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_complex\" target=\"_blank\">Napoleon complex</a>.<br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><br />That\'s him, right at the top of this post - <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon\" target=\"_blank\">Napoleon Bonaparte</a>. I linked to Wikipedia for those of you who weren\'t in school that day, but the short version is, he was short and didn\'t like it. Wikipedia sums it up nicely:<br /><blockquote><i>(A Napoleon complex) is characterized by overly-aggressive or domineering social  behaviour, and carries the implication that such behaviour is  compensatory for the subjects\' stature. The term is also used more  generally to describe <b>people who are driven by a perceived handicap to  overcompensate</b> in other aspects of their lives.</i></blockquote>&nbsp;See that part I made bold? There\'s the workout problem right there. I think nearly every time I\'ve gone to the gym I\'ve seen other people working out, and I feel like as soon as I start putting weight on the bar I\'m going to be judged. And I sit there, with what I feel like is dinky weight, feeling like everyone\'s looking at me like...<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HnIbI723FHk/UenRvsPPWRI/AAAAAAAAA8E/UKO-ne0a-Cg/s1600/34414-marilyn-monroe-Bro-do-you-even-fMI6.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img alt=\"Seriously, Bro. Do you even lift?\" border=\"0\" height=\"252\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HnIbI723FHk/UenRvsPPWRI/AAAAAAAAA8E/UKO-ne0a-Cg/s320/34414-marilyn-monroe-Bro-do-you-even-fMI6.jpeg\" title=\"\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><br />At that point many people just kinda...leave.<br /><br />\"Whoops! I forgot about an appointment!\"<br /><br />\"Crap! I totally midjudged my time, I\'m late for work!\"<br /><br />However, it is at precisely this moment that people like me do something stupid. Because it is at precisely this moment that Joey Howyadoin shows up like he\'s God\'s gift to lifting and goes <br /><br />\"Hey Bro, you need a spot?\"<br /><br />OF COURSE! Because that was just my <b>warm-up set</b>. Let\'s crank this up! Aaaaand on goes the weight. Next thing you know I\'m putting myself in a really bad position where best case scenario I embarrass the ever-loving bejeezus out of myself and worst case I end up hurting myself. Why? Because everyone else in the place looks like they\'re lifting this:<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--tY10BME1TY/UektrjJFZZI/AAAAAAAAA7o/PLzfycTdFMU/s1600/toomuchweight.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img alt=\"Over 1000 lbs on a barbell\" border=\"0\" height=\"175\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--tY10BME1TY/UektrjJFZZI/AAAAAAAAA7o/PLzfycTdFMU/s320/toomuchweight.jpg\" title=\"\" width=\"320\" /></a></div><br />and there I am with my two marshmallows on a straw. So the Napoleon complex kicks in and I try to go hard. Whoops...guess I\'m not showing my face in the gym for...ever. It\'s ok...my pals Mr. Couch, Tony the T.V. and Chester the Cheetah (Cheetos, anyone?) will comfort my ailing ego.<br /><br /><b>So what\'s the moral of the story?</b><br /><br />Don\'t worry about what everyone else in the gym is doing. Don\'t worry about that guy benching 400 lbs like its boring. Don\'t worry about the people on Facebook posting pics of their one-handed handstand when all you seem to manage is somersaults. Worry about <b>YOU</b>. Because at the end of the day, what they did doesn\'t matter in YOUR fitness world, and their mind-bending workout isn\'t what\'s building muscle on YOU. Or burning fat off YOUR body (even though watching them might make you feel worn out). <b>Don\'t be afraid to start with (</b>what you think is) <b>light weight</b>. Don\'t be afraid to take it easy the first time you do something. <span style=\"background-color: yellow;\"><u><b>It\'s good to feel out your abilities and test the water.</b></u></span> If you do it right <b>this will not be the last time you do this workout. </b>You <b><span style=\"background-color: yellow;\">will</span> </b>have the chance to up your weights next time...when you have a better idea of what\'s ACTUALLY a good idea. <br /><br />During every dvd at-home workout program I do, the coach/leader/whatever basically says this same thing in different ways, but I think Tony Horton (creator of P90X) said it best:<br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oM2rBjZZpN0/UenY_vlMoUI/AAAAAAAAA8U/5cuHUP0HnBg/s1600/3s27l9.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img alt=\"Do your best and forget the rest!\" border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oM2rBjZZpN0/UenY_vlMoUI/AAAAAAAAA8U/5cuHUP0HnBg/s320/3s27l9.jpg\" title=\"\" width=\"233\" /></a></div><br />','Why Workouts Fail #1 - The Napoleon Complex','','publish','open','open','','why-workouts-fail-1-the-napoleon-complex','','','2017-01-08 11:19:14','2017-01-08 16:19:14','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=129',0,'post','',0),(130,1,'2013-07-19 01:08:00','2013-07-19 05:08:00','<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8LEdP8TY7uI/Ueh2Kn3CLTI/AAAAAAAAA68/bioat3OphxI/s1600/IMG_20130718_185043_332.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"225\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8LEdP8TY7uI/Ueh2Kn3CLTI/AAAAAAAAA68/bioat3OphxI/s400/IMG_20130718_185043_332.jpg\" width=\"400\" /></a></div><br />So here\'s something I wish I had heard before I started running. Silly me, I just ASSUMED that you could listen to music while you run. How foolish of me! Apparently there\'s a big controversy in the running world about listening to music while you run. Many people argue that you shouldn\'t, that it will interfere with your run, that its better to listen to nature and whatnot...some even go so far as to say that it\'s dangerous (in the case of road running or urban running). Others (the camp I have fallen into) say that running while listening to music can help improve the quality of your run and help make it a more enjoyable experience. There is nothing I love more when I\'m on a run than a power song coming on and feeling a surge of energy hit my stride (<a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEXHeTcxQy4\" target=\"_blank\">Chelsea Dagger - The Fratellis</a> is a PERFECT example). <br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><br />That said, I COMPLETELY understand why the \"Anti-Tunes\" camp believes what they do, and THIS is the part I wish I had been told before I started: the wrong music can COMPLETELY ruin your run.<br /><br />When I started running I, enjoying music and having a large music library, had a number of playlists. I picked one, I put it on shuffle, and off I went down the street. THAT was my mistake. The playlist I picked was a lot of The Offspring (No Brakes, Walla Walla, etc) and other fast-paced tracks. I could not for the life of me run to that music. Something just wasn\'t right. I ended up going slower, my strides shorter...I couldn\'t sync up with the beat. After long enough trying to deal with that, I figured it out. CRACKED THE CODE!<br /><br />You have to pick songs that have the right BPM (beats per minute) for the pace you\'re running (or trying to run).<br /><br /><table align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"><tbody><tr><td style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ARO0dmTM850/Ueh6m1P9GHI/AAAAAAAAA7M/dYtSapsxcFM/s1600/Herp-Derp-Derp-Derp-random-28593627-486-301.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"198\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ARO0dmTM850/Ueh6m1P9GHI/AAAAAAAAA7M/dYtSapsxcFM/s320/Herp-Derp-Derp-Derp-random-28593627-486-301.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style=\"text-align: center;\">That\'s about how I felt when I finally figured it out. (img from fanpop)</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Well, with that bit of genius finally unlocked I sifted through over 14,000 songs (between my own music library and outside suggestions) to put together a playlist. First I had to figure out that I ran about a 9:00 to 9:30 /mi pace and I\'d like to shoot for 8. As far as I was concerned, anything just below 8 all the way up to 9:30 pace for music was fine, so I searched. There are a TON of google results for \"Top running songs\" \"best running songs\", etc. I took ideas from many of these sites, but I will be so bold as to say...there CAN\'T be one perfect running playlist. That would imply that everyone runs the same, or that there is one standard of \"perfect\" in running world...if there\'s one thing I love about fitness its that there\'s never perfect, its the journey and the evolution that\'s important.<br /><br />Better, not perfect. <br /><br />Aside from everyone out there with a blog that thinks they\'ve figured out the definitive list of the best songs for running, there are other resources too, like <a href=\"http://jog.fm/\" target=\"_blank\">Jog.fm</a>. That site gives you a TON of song suggestions listed with (and sortable by) BPM/time (it matches up BPM with what pace that gives you). GREAT resource!<br /><br />While I did figure out a great playlist, it is not \"THE BEST\". Your playlist will need to evolve over time just like your run does. I have cut a bunch of songs from the list...some I wanted to be able to run to and they just weren\'t right, some I liked and then fell out of love with, and some I can\'t run to anymore because they\'re too slow. I threw <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyDUC1LUXSU\" target=\"_blank\">Blurred Lines (Robin Thicke)</a> on my playlist and I really want to run to it, but I have a feeling its going to end up cut.<br /><br />That said, here\'s my&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.blogspot.com/p/running-playlist.html\" target=\"_blank\">current playlist</a> (current because I have no doubt I\'ll edit it soon). DISCLAIMER: Just because I\'d run to it doesn\'t necessarily mean I\'d listen to it in real life. <br /><br />','The \"Music While Running\" Controversy','','publish','open','open','','the-music-while-running-controversy','','','2017-01-08 16:48:36','2017-01-08 21:48:36','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=130',0,'post','',0),(131,1,'2013-07-17 20:21:00','2013-07-18 00:21:00','<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ONzPg3iqFLs/UeaWsiJHU5I/AAAAAAAAAyM/wkdb16o11T4/s1600/legdaybeforeafter.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ONzPg3iqFLs/UeaWsiJHU5I/AAAAAAAAAyM/wkdb16o11T4/s320/legdaybeforeafter.jpg\" width=\"320\" /></a></div>So as I sit here, waiting for the basement workout space to free up, I\'m reflecting that in less than a month I\'m supposed to be running the <a href=\"http://www.falmouthroadrace.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Falmouth Road Race</a>, the big race I\'ve been working up to since March when I first started running, and I can only go for training runs about one day a week. Why? Leg Day. That\'s why. <br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><br />See, the trouble with Leg Day is...it\'s deceptive. During, its miserable - stumbling to my water bottle after putting the weights down. After, my legs are Jell-O as I try to ascend Mt. Everest to take a shower. But after that...I\'m fine! I feel great. Why not go for a run?<br /><br />Then tomorrow happens.<br /><br />Because you\'re not going to be all that sore ON Leg Day. No, no. Tomorrow you\'ll be sore. After you thought it was a good idea to add in a run, too. I have made this mistake, and I have learned.<br /><br />Why is Leg Day so damn awful?<br /><br />Just like any other workout, you\'re not REALLY gonna feel it until the next day. So why does it ache SO much when you get there?<br /><br />Leg Day seems to require the most recovery time of any workout I\'ve done - not just strength training, but workouts period. If I had to venture a guess, I\'d say its because they don\'t get to rest unless you sit. Think about it - every day for 16 (or more) hours a day your legs cart you all over creation. Even when you\'re not going anywhere, they\'re still holding you up. But once a week, when that just wasn\'t enough, we pound on them even harder in the spirit of fitness. During sets, they\'re on fire. Between sets, they\'re still on fire as you stumble to get water and write down your weights. It\'s a relentless pounding. I usually have to wait until the second or even third day after a serious Leg Day workout to be able to go on a run. I\'m sure there\'s a more scientific \"factual\" answer, but...I did say I\'m not a professional, right?<br /><br />The trouble with Leg Day is...its frickin\' hard! That\'s probably why so many people don\'t do leg day, or don\'t do it right. It\'s also easy to hurt your back or knees on Leg Day (but that\'s a topic for another blog post).<br /><br />When all is said and done, the trouble with Leg Day is it\'s a lot of hard work that knocks out your legs for a couple days. Nevertheless...<br /><br /><div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xWp_aCJOgkU/Ueb8LZgLgtI/AAAAAAAAAyc/6ZD5b4JqHv4/s1600/leg-day-1.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xWp_aCJOgkU/Ueb8LZgLgtI/AAAAAAAAAyc/6ZD5b4JqHv4/s320/leg-day-1.jpg\" width=\"224\" /></a></div><br /><i>****UPDATE 7/18/13 1:35 pm****</i><br /><i>A fitness friend tipped me off that apparently the whole \"it doesn\'t hurt till tomorrow\" thing is a legitimate condition called Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness. <br /><br />http://saveyourself.ca/articles/delayed-onset-muscle-soreness.php</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>&nbsp;See, we\'re learning together!</i>','The Trouble With Leg Day','','publish','open','open','','the-trouble-with-leg-day','','','2017-01-08 11:20:03','2017-01-08 16:20:03','',0,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=131',0,'post','',0),(136,1,'2016-12-15 11:02:00','2016-12-15 11:02:00','<iframe allowfullscreen=\"\" height=\"90\" mozallowfullscreen=\"\" msallowfullscreen=\"\" oallowfullscreen=\"\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/4915231/height/90/width/450/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/forward/tdest_id/454656/render-playlist/no/custom-color/ffac1a/\" style=\"border: none;\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"\" width=\"450\"></iframe><br />Often times, in life, we think we know what we\'re in for...only to find out we didn\'t really&nbsp;<em>get it</em>. Well, this is one of those times I was 100% shown that I simply&nbsp;<em>did not get it</em> ahead of time. This past weekend Megan and I ventured up to Millinocket, Maine for the Millinocket Marathon...and while I totally thought I had a handle on what was going on...I was dead wrong.<br /> <br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><br />We\'ve got a JAM-PACKED episode for you today!<br /> <br /> -We finally get Bryan and Peter of \"How Was Your Run Today?\" on the show<br /> -We chat about Millinocket, small town charm and the lingering haunt of days gone-by<br />-Chat with a local business owner about the impact of the race<br />-Chat with the Race Director himself about his vision for the race, why he started it, and where he\'d like to see it go.<br /><br />PLEASE visit <a href=\"http://www.howwasyourruntoday.com/\">www.HowWasYourRunToday.com</a>&nbsp;and see all that Bryan and Peter have to offer. Find them on your podcast app of choice and subscribe so you, too, can listen to them each week while you run, work out, or commute to work.<br /><br />Also PLEASE do be sure to visit <a href=\"http://www.crowathletics.com/\">www.crowathletics.com</a>&nbsp;- learn all about the organization the put on this race, as well as the other events they put on!<br /><br /> <a href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/millinocket-marathon-and-half-2017-registration-30224398991\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"REGISTER for the Millinocket Marathon &amp; Half 2017 here!\">REGISTER for Millinocket Marathon &amp; Half here!</a><br />And, as always, please do be sure to find me online!<br /><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/\">www.SoTHISIsFitness.com</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/SoTHISIsFitness\">www.Facebook.com/SoTHISIsFitness</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/SnuffyDX\">www.instagram.com/SnuffyDX</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/SnuffyDX\">www.twitter.com/SnuffyDX</a><br />  <br /> We\'d just love it if you\'d visit your podcast downloading method of choice (iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or other) and leave us a rating &amp; review - that helps us pop up a little higher in search results and helps new listeners find us in the future.<br /><br /><a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/16-millinocket-and-the-golden-road?tdest_id=454656\" target=\"_blank\">Check out this episode!</a>','#16 - Millinocket and The Golden Road','','inherit','closed','closed','','10-revision-v1','','','2016-12-15 11:02:00','2016-12-15 11:02:00','',10,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=136',0,'revision','',0),(138,1,'2016-11-15 14:50:00','2016-11-15 14:50:00','','Apera - The Last Gym Bag You\'ll Ever Need','','inherit','closed','closed','','12-revision-v1','','','2016-11-15 14:50:00','2016-11-15 14:50:00','',12,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=138',0,'revision','',0),(140,1,'2016-11-04 20:27:00','2016-11-04 20:27:00','<span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>So THIS Is Fitness - Podcast</b></span><br /><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Episode 11: The Best Is Yet To Come</b></span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen=\"\" height=\"90\" mozallowfullscreen=\"\" msallowfullscreen=\"\" oallowfullscreen=\"\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/4803051/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/no-cache/true/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f4a906/\" style=\"border: none;\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"\" width=\"500\"></iframe><br /><br />Frankly...I\'m still in disbelief. It\'s still surreal. I still haven\'t FULLY processed exactly what it is that happened at the Ghost Train Rail Trail Race...<br /><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><br /><i>I ran 100 miles. I was on my feet for 29 hours. ...people...don\'t DO that...</i><br /><i><br /></i>And yet here I am. <b>I did</b>. I\'ll probably be trying to wrap my head around it for a while. They say running an ultramarathon you learn a lot about yourself, and you see the world differently. Completing, or even participating in...an endurance run of THIS magnitude...<i>yeah. they\'re right. <u>It does.</u></i><br /><i><u><br /></u></i>So let\'s chat a minute about exactly what the deal is here.<br /><i><br /></i><b><i>Episode Breakdown:</i></b><br /><i>-Origins of the 100 mile endurance run</i><br /><i>-100 miler stats, facts, &amp; numbers</i><br /><i>-\"Try It On\"<br />-Ghost Train Rail Trail race breakdown &amp; event recap<br />-Thoughts...and lessons learned...</i><br /><i><br />BIG THANKS to Cape Cod Nutrition Corner for sponsoring me into this season of events and making this whole thing possible.</i><br /><br />Subscribe to the \"Athlete On Fire\" podcast to get episodes of So THIS Is Fitness! STIF is a proud part of the Athlete On Fire network!','Podcast Ep. 11 - The Best Is Yet To Come','','inherit','closed','closed','','14-revision-v1','','','2016-11-04 20:27:00','2016-11-04 20:27:00','',14,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=140',0,'revision','',0),(141,1,'2016-10-19 11:06:00','2016-10-19 11:06:00','<iframe allowfullscreen=\"\" height=\"90\" mozallowfullscreen=\"\" msallowfullscreen=\"\" oallowfullscreen=\"\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/4753108/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/no-cache/true/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f4bb06/\" style=\"border: none;\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"\" width=\"500\"></iframe><br /><br /><div dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Things don\'t always go according to plan</span></b></span></span><br /><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><br /></span></span><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">...when the ceiling comes crashing down on you, it can be tough to find the drive to keep on plowing forward and sticking to the plan. When conditions are less than ideal, it\'s up to us to hunker down, toughen up, and make up the difference from within ourselves.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><br /></span></span></div><div dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">Last weekend, for Megan, Darrell, and hundreds of people running the Newport Marathon...was most certainly NOT ideal. Darrell recaps what exactly went down, how things went wrong, and marvels at the pure drive, determination, and commitment of these brave souls.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"><br /></div><div dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"><br /></div>','\"Less Than Ideal...\" (STIF Podcast Episode 9)','','inherit','closed','closed','','15-revision-v1','','','2016-10-19 11:06:00','2016-10-19 11:06:00','',15,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=141',0,'revision','',0),(143,1,'2016-08-19 18:33:00','2016-08-19 18:33:00','<div><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>I work at a gym.</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Working at a gym, it\'s very unprofessional to bash other gyms. Despite that, plenty of gym employees do it. I truly think my gym is the best one in the area (for many reasons) and that it sells itself, so I\'ve never felt compelled to bash others. <b>There is one establishment, however, I cannot deal with.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><u style=\"font-weight: bold;\">One. Facility.</u>&nbsp;That I could ever really feel the need to vehemently and vigorously speak about. It is because their entire business model...frankly, everything about them...is built on hypocrisy, lies, and <b>their members\'&nbsp;failure.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Today I want to talk about the five UNFORGIVABLE hypocrisies of <u>Planet Fitness</u>.</b></div><div><br /><a name=\'more\'></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div>','The 5 Unforgivable Hypocrisies Of Planet Fitness','','inherit','closed','closed','','17-revision-v1','','','2016-08-19 18:33:00','2016-08-19 18:33:00','',17,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=143',0,'revision','',0),(144,1,'2016-07-18 18:45:00','2016-07-18 18:45:00','<span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>I\'ve run a lot of road races.&nbsp;</b></span><div><br /></div><div>I\'m not bragging, it\'s just a fact. In 2014 alone I did just shy of 40 races (and would\'ve done more if I hadn\'t <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2014/10/Beast2014.html\" target=\"_blank\">broken my knee</a>). I\'ve run in my state and others. Road, trail, mountain, OCR...\"big races\", local \"little guys\", and everything in between. Some are terrible, many are good, some are GREAT.<br /><br />And one proves itself to be the best, to me, year after year.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Almost two years ago I put together criteria for what makes a great race - <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2014/11/5-keys-to-great-race.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"5 Keys To A Great Race\"</a>, I called it. Narragansett Summer Running Festival nails it in all 5.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Post-Race</u></b></div><div>It\'s funny, as I refresh myself on what exactly each of those 5 categories entailed...I used a picture from \'Gansett for the \"Post-Race\" category.&nbsp;</div>','My Absolute Favorite Race - \'Gansett Summer','','inherit','closed','closed','','18-revision-v1','','','2016-07-18 18:45:00','2016-07-18 18:45:00','',18,'http://50.87.248.94/~sothisj4/?p=144',0,'revision','',0),