Hunker Down





Greetings!

Yesterday I took a 7:29 AM flight back home from New York’s LaGuardia airport. My trip north began leaving West Palm at 6:30 Wednesday morning and was my first time to visit the city and our largest investors this year. Lot's going on here at the office but I need to stay connected to our partners better than I have been; this blog is an effort in that too. 

Upon returning I came and worked on a bunch of “fires” (or opportunities as the motivational guys would call them) and left around 3:15 PM to get to the track. Having done my double workout Monday I was much sorer than anticipated so I rested Tuesday and Wednesday but had to run Thursday night; it was rough! I barely got through the basic 2 mile walk/run in 32 minutes; my current record is 29. Glad I have 16 weeks left to prepare for the mini triathlon!

My trip wore me out but ironically, the run was good for me to recover. I must admit to consuming an entire calzone from Allora’s Italian delivery for dinner but did so with no remorse; in fact feeling genuinely righteous! I know this is not great training food but hey, I am just an out of shape 57 year old running a sprint-tri, right?

Today I am having fun working on some new ideas in sales and marketing, this is the fun part in this business!

 



Just want to make a shout out to Jim from Waterloo. When I arrived in the office Debbie gave me a nice card with a Zella Strickland drawing of a cowboy hiding from hard rain under his horse. I have posted an image of the card.  Wow, what a nice touch?! Thanks very much Jim; may God Bless you too! 



More next week! 

RGW

Click HERE to view the latest video!

 





Progress and Blast from the Past

Update:

Monday I ran 6 tenths of a mile and walked the balance of the 2 miles on the treadmill at my son's gym. I rode my bike to the gym 3.12 miles and then exactly the same home.

From now on I will stick to the track for running for 2 reasons. First, the treadmill strained my Achilles and took 5 minutes longer than the track!  Maybe its not quite a mile but that's ok with me!

6 mile ride and the run. Progress! 

RGW 

Guess Who?

What Memorial Day Means to Me

Most of America is celebrating Memorial Day today and it provides a very easy day for a workout.  Today I will make it a double; ride 6 miles and run/walk 2 miles in one day while staying away from the office.  Progress….

Today we remember the many Americans that made such monumental sacrifices for our Country.  We all live in the greatest land on earth directly because of those remarkable people honored on Memorial Day.  My number in the draft lottery was 186 and was pulled the first year in which America drew a lottery but didn’t call any one to the military.  Our armed forces became all-volunteer the first year I could have been called.   I must say I was relieved but certainly didn’t understand the level of commitment and sacrifice that so many young military folks achieved back then.  I have come to appreciate them more as I get older, but when I really think about their contribution to our living standards, I often wonder if I could have achieved such determination and maturity.  I doubt it!

Memorial Day is, for me, a time to reflect upon folks no longer in my life who have made a difference including friends and family in addition to honoring those who served in the military.  My personal world has been impacted by a number of deaths during the last decade and each and every one made a profound impact on my perspective and my outlook.  Aunts, uncles, good friends, and direct family members including my beloved brother, Jim have all moved on and completed the circle of life.  They all gave of themselves to me and somehow, now that they are gone, I finally see what they did for me when they were here.  Maybe that’s how it should be in God’s order of things but I struggle to make sense of it all.  I should have known enough to appreciate it at the time!

I will continue to push myself to exercise my way back into fitness while thinking about this great holiday.  I realize it is a blessing for me and something to smile about!

Thanks for checking in.  RGW
 

Still At It - Second Video

Five Days in!

Back to the track in the Gardens yesterday afternoon.  This time I really didn’t want to go but whomever the motivational speaker was that proposed announcing to everyone your goals and resolutions was right!  I had to go.

It was drizzling rain and I thought about taking a day off but decided to put on the running shoes and drive to the track.  The rain continued at the start but I decided it would keep me cool and the initial phase of my routine is a ½ mile “walk” anyway, not too tough.  Once I got into it the alternating tenth mile run / walk I started ok but by the time I reached the final run section I was genuinely out of breath and felt the burning in my legs and lower back.  

The rain intensified at Mile marker 1.5 and I would have gladly quit and jumped in my 1971 240-Z for a peaceful ride home but, as God would have it, the half mile marker is at the precise furthest location from the parking lot and I had to walk the last ½ mile just to get to the car.  Yes, I completed the whole thing a little quicker than before, covering the 2 miles in 31 minutes.  Twenty Five years ago I remember running this same track for 3 miles in 24 minutes!  Yes, I have a long way to go but I was never a good runner, just in much better shape then (it was 75 pounds ago).

The thing that seems to be taking the longest to respond is my ability to breathe and process oxygen.  By the end of the running portions of this process, I am truly spent and gasping for air.  They tell me to “keep on keeping on!”

This entire process has been an eye opener for me.  Yes I have become badly out of shape but I have learned two more important things so far;

1. Phase III is extraordinarily good tasting, refreshing and rewarding when consumed within 30 minutes of training. No doubt it gets me through!

2. There is something very “Mentally Healthy” about taking time each day to exercise.

The whole process has brought me better perspective about my daily outlook and I am sure the endorphins are helping my attitude!

Thanks for staying in touch! 

 RGW

You can click HERE to check out today's video!

Getting Warmed Up

 

Three days and counting….. 

Yesterday I ran / walked 2 miles again on the Gardens track; yes I did watch out for the Gators and it kind of took my mind off of things.

So, if in any way I have inspired another nearly 300 pounder to take up a challenge, announce publicly an endeavor to improve his physical condition and achieve an important personal goal, let me say this;  “FOR-@#$%*&$#--GET it”!  This hurts a lot and required an inordinate amount of energy.  This is quite probably the craziest %$#@*&$#@ thing I have ever done! 

Wow…. I feel better already…..

More updates soon.  Thanks for staying in touch! 

RGW

 

Here We Go

Weekend training update.

Saturday I went to the local running park in Palm Beach Gardens which has a one mile track on a gentle and kind clay track.  I have recovered from a torn Achilles tendon but have been warned to take it easy.  Somehow my doctor seems to think I should moderate my efforts in light of my aged and over sized physical condition….

I walked ½ mile and alternated running and walking every tenth mile for a mile and then walked the last half mile to complete a 30 minute effort.  I must say, after this effort,  Phase III never tastes so good to me before! 

Sunday I dragged my bike out of the garage, took it to the station to put air in the tires and rode around my neighborhood, carefully not straying far from home!  I peddled 6.5 miles in 31 minutes and was very happy to arrive home.  Somehow, either my legs have become weaker or my upper body became heavier during the last 5 years. 

Today is another day and in spite of the thunder and rain here, I will make it back to the track and run walk another 2 miles.  Yes, I am hurting.  All for a good cause!! 

Thanks for checking in. 

RGW

The Inaugural Post

Well, they say strapping on the running shoes is the hardest part.  Not for me, writing the first Blog is the hardest!!

While I intend to brace myself for this 18 week training program leading to the October sprint Tri with a martini tonight, Saturday I will begin by run-walking in 2 minute intervals and revert to Phase III vanilla after the exercise.

I need to lose some weight and get my fitness back before getting too aggressive... but here goes -gotta start somewhere! 

Attitude Adjustment tonight, then training 6 days per week beginning Saturday.  Watch for updates.  Pray for me!! 

RGW

Click HERE to watch my first video! Later today, the video will be uploaded to this page so you can simply click on the image to view.