Day 617- Happy Halloween

Seems like the weather will be good for the trick or treaters. The big focus right now is a great workout. Up early ( 5:25 am ) after going down @ 1 am. I can not quite put my finger on the reason why my number of calories I have been burning in my 60 minute rides has been lower than in the past. My legs feel good. I pedal hard. I focus on keeping a good pace. I have a strong desire to get and keep the 15 calorie burn per minute pace. It just seems peculiar to not hit my goal, especially since I had such a long run of doing so.

Maybe it is just a mild streak on am on?

Tonight is game 3 of the 2009 World Series. The Yankees are visiting the Phillies for the first of three games that are set to begin in Philadelphia. Other than the subway series where the Yankees played their cross town rival the Mets this is I believe any teams have traveled to play each other. The two teams are only a 2 hour drive from each other. Only one state separates the two that is New Jersey.

The game is scheduled to be played while the east coast is during the height of the trick or treaters evening. I can only remember one World Series game being played on Halloween.

Jeter hit a walk-off home run in the 10th inning after an improbable Yankees comeback with two outs in the ninth that night, sinking the D-backs in Game 4 of the 2001 World Series.

Here is to the sequel being just as good as the first!

GO YANKS!


Being in the spirit of the day, I decided to see if I would get a trick or a treat. The gym I workout in is equipped better than the other gyms I have been to. However, my workout is very simple. It is cardio,abs,arms and stretch. As for my cardio, their equipment falls short for a couple reasons. One, they do not have enough of the machines I care to use. Two the ones they do have are not maintained. Which leads me to my trick or treat game. This morning once I arrived at the gym I was reminded by the idea of trying one of the other lifecycles that are in the gym. This lifecycle is not well maintained but, believe it or not was recently fixed. This lifecycle is located in the area of the gym which receives little ventilation. Which could pose a challenge for anyone that is not aware of the situation. I purpose of choosing this lifecycle despite it being poorly maintained and is placed in a poorly ventilated area was to see if I could pedal harder longer. Which would result in a more fun workout.

Within the 1st 23 minutes I blazing along at a pace I had not been on in a long time! Then I hit a wall which is normal if the pace you are on is way faster than you usually are on. But prior to hitting the wall I was burning OVER 16 CALORIES A MINUTE! I felt great and was fighting to maintain the pace. I started to lose the power around the 30 minute mark. By the 40 minute mark I was barely doing 15 burned calories per minute. I wound up burning 880 calories in 60 minutes which is way better than I had been doing.

Plan,do and review.Plan was good, did most of my plan. Review pedaling was easier, the machine had less resistance than other machine. However, there is a broken ball bearing on that lifecycle. The only trick was the ventilation I got so soaked with perspiration that I had to take off my sweatshirt to continue the ride. The treat was an awesome feeling during and after the ride.

So I guess I happy hallo weened myself- Do not eat too much candy! Have fruit its just as sweet.

Day 616- Early rise to kickoff weekend

So here we are getting ready to take our turn for Day 616. Upon completion of this workout it will be 621 workouts in the last 616 days. I feel great and am excited to put together a great effort.

The Yankees won the second game of the World Series last night. The win ties the series at one game a piece with three straight schedule to be played in Philadelphia on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Should neither team win all three games there will be a game six in New York on Wednesday of next week.

Sunday should be a very historic day in sports because both baseball and football teams will play each. I can not remember the last time teams from the same city have played each other on the same day.

If the weather permits the base game will be played at night right across the street from the football game that will be played at 1 o'clock in the afternoon.

I will look it up but I do not even remember two cities facing each other in such a way. If this has happened before it would have to be when both teams that face one another in the World Series the same year they played each other in football that year. I believe that definitely could have happened before. Either way I am curious.

Suppose the easiest way to narrow this down is know all the past World Series match ups over the years then see that cities football team played the other cities football team.

Its happened a couple of times since 2003 but on the same day. ( Still researching )

Day 616 is in the books did only 780 in 60 and came back and did another 61 in 5 more minutes.
Did 1500+ crunches and 15 on the plank could have done more but I was fasting for my physical today.

One note, when I workout I do not drink during my workout- no water-. Prior to my workout I eat nothing. Today after my work out I stayed dry until after my blood work for the physical. I started the fast at 845 pm 10/29 finished at 1: 30ish pm 10/30. So, that equals how many hours? Sixteen hours and 45 minutes. Keep in mind I did a 2 1/2 hour workout in that 16 hour and 45 minute span of time. Yeah! I love it!

Day 615-My focus of the day is improvement

How times in a short period of time can one meet with rejection and still come back for more? Have you ever been witness to a child's insistence on something? If you have you will notice that no matter how many No's the child will get they will usually keep asking for it until....... Either they get it or... The child is removed kicking and screaming. I find this amazing. What is it that is in that child that brings out such a persistent behavior? Guess what? Unless you are right now some incredible child genius you have once been that child.

Now, you may not remember being so determined, but I guarantee at one time you were. You and I were so focused on getting what we want at that time that we paid little regard to the amount of effort we had to put forward to get it. Think back, try to recapture that unbridled desire to get something. I feel if you are able to tap that fire of desire you can be on the road to greatness.

I have a goal in mind today I want to improve on what I did yesterday. One of the motivational tools I just used is in the above paragraphs- I am determined to accomplish my desire - Dear Lord, allow my inner child to be released!

I think I released some of my inner child. I burned more today than I have all week did 840 and it felt great. Did 450 for 1st 30 minutes which is stronger. Was a little slow but finished with a good kick! Then did 1700+ crunches. After felt great! Then proceeded to do 50 minutes on plank exercise. I felt it but it felt so---oo good! That is a personal high.Previous longest time was 45 minutes. Last Thursday I had set the record this Thursday I broke it!

I felt good today and it showed in my performance. That my friends is an awesome feeling.

Tomorrow I am focused on having a better ride and burning more calories during my 60 minutes.

Day 614-Rain reminds me of Descartes

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I am sure all this has been covered before but it is worth a review. I was woken to the sound of rain this morning. As I said "Rain reminds me of Descartes" . Descartes was a philosopher I studied in college. His premise on life was when it rains a person has but three choices 1) stay in and be dry 2) go outside and be wet or 3) use a cover from the rain an umbrella. With an umbrella a person still be outside but they will be dry. So, how does this pertain to life. Let us think about it a bit. In this example what is rain? Rain is an obstacle is it not? Rain is stopping this individual from being dry and being outside. If one of that person's goal of the day was to be outside and be dry then rain has certainly presented a challenge to that. Now come the choices, stay home and give in to the obstacle and relax the goal for as long as it rains. How about going outside and being satisfied with half the accomplishment of the goal.Whereas the person did not stay dry but darn if he or she did not go outside! Last using an umbrella, what does that mean? It is saying to the rain and the world "I know it is going to be a challenge but I am up to it."

I suppose this does sound simple and obvious but that is life. WE CAN CHOOSE TO QUIT COMPROMISE OR DO IT!

When it comes to working out I like to choose to DO IT!

Did a great work out today, reason? Sweated for 2 hours. If that is not reason enough then I have not got a reason.

I the past few days I have been challenged on the ride. However today I did more than yesterday. Burned 814 calories in 60 minutes. Had a 15 calorie burn per minute average going up to the 28 minute mark. My competitive nature kicked in when I got off the lifecycle and did 1327 crunches in about 20 minutes. Soon after I did 32 minutes on the plank. A word about the plank. It is one of the only exercises I know that you can sweat like crazy while not moving. So Day 614 is done - I pray for more power on my ride tomorrow - Day 615

Day 613- Ever wonder why some people respond to the world in a happy cheerful manner?

What is it about some people that they just seem to be constantly in a good mood? It must be the way they look at things. They must believe that all people are good. And good things will happen to them. They must be fascinated by the whole living and alive experience. I gather that most of these type of people genuinely like people. They enjoy seeing people and are usually happy to be around people. Also they must feel good around people because it makes them feel good to be around people. I also believe that their enjoyment is not limited to people, it is for all living things.

Most people of this type are probably challenged a lot by people that do not have a great disposition in their lives right now. Yet the person with the great attitude just smiles and shrugs off the negative outlook the person forecasts.

So hats off to the persons that have a great attitude and are fun to be around and having around.Christ said " I have come here so you may live more abundantly". Thanks to those who make us feel better than we normally do - Thank you for helping us all to live more abundantly.

Make sense of my recent power outage and I'll give you a dollar! Today, I rode the lifecycle but not with same vim and vigor I would have liked to have. Oddly my calorie burn per hour has been going down. I believe its OK but I suppose it is worth noting. I am still cranking up the heart rate and sweating as usual and do feel great after the ride. Also, I do have plenty of energy after the ride to do other exercises. I did do a 22 minute straight plank today. This plank included a 10 minute straight plank of staying in the exact same position which is probably one of my longest ever!

Ah life is grand! Day 614 is less than 17 hours away- Lord have mercy!

Day 612- Challenged myself with a mammoth fast today

When you consider that I ate at 12:30 am then slept til 9 am which is a real late rising for me. I workout @ 1:45 pm and finally had some thing to drink at 4 pm that is a long time in between. Some 15 hours. Still I loved it. My only wish is that I could have put in some stronger numbers. I only did a 831 calories burn in 60 minutes. However I did manage to get my heart rate up to 135 and I was cruising with 464 in 31minutes. Some how the bottom fell out and I was out a energy. maybe the fasting got me. I did 700+ crunches then only 10 minutes on the plank, stretched and then I was done. The ride was sweet so were the crunches. My plank left my a little bummed but it felt good.

As we move towards anything we are attempting to do we must always be aware of our emotions. I believe the sometimes they play tricks on us. I was thinking about this during my workout. When pain and frustration set in which at times they do. Ask yourself is this so important that I am going to allow it to steal my joy. Here is an acronym I once shared with a friend NSMJ- No one steals my joy. Joy is a great word we should always do our best to keep it.

So enjoy your time reading this as many times you like-

Day 611- My trip to a different place to do the ride and workout

Over the past few months I have been riding a different lifecycle on Sundays. Since my schedule on Sunday's is a little different than other days this is where I have the best opportunity to do my work out.

It looks like they will have a good chance of getting game 6 of the American Championship Series in. The Yankees hold a 3 games to 2 edge and with a win they will earn the right to play in their 40Th World Series. The Yankees have appeared in more World Series than any other team the closest team in number of appearances is the Los Angeles Dodgers they have been to 22 World Series and won 6 World Series. the team closest to Yankees in World Series won is the St Louis Cardinals they have won 10. The Cardinals have appeared in 21 World Series.


The Yankees win the PENNANT!

On my 611Th day of consecutive workouts of 60 minutes of more of cardio vascular exercise!
As the story goes on day 611 the Yankees captured their 40 Th pennant. So, on day 202 of the 2009 baseball season for the Yankees they win the pennant. my work out on the 611TH Day was awesome. I was challenged to the max and got my heart rate up to 136. I challenged the 15 calories per minute for only a few minutes. Regardless the ride was a blast! A good 22 minutes on the plank exercise followed and I felt great!

The gym I use on Sundays is newer than the one I normally use, yet its lacks a nice stretch machine. I have noticed how awesome it feels to stretch after a hard workout- I recommend a stretch for a good 10 minutes or more after a good challenging workout.

Day 610- Ride with reckless abandon

Gotta go! I will focus on an awesome ride!

I knew today would be a struggle to ride with reckless abandon so I made sure I had ideal conditions to work out. I usually put a big fan on when I ride so I do not have to worry about running out of energy during the ride. I figured I was going to have a good challenge to keep my energy so I did not put the fan on. As a result of that plan I sweated like crazy and got my heart up to a good pace. My numbers will look bad but I had a great work out! :)

Day 609- As I surmised the AJ show was not a go

As we all ponder the day ahead my thoughts are swimming around my beloved Yankees. As I must admit I got an ache in my stomach when they had 2 on and no one out only to watch the Yankee 3,4 and 5 hitters not cash in on a golden opportunity to strike first. By scoring first the Yanks could have sent a message to the Angels that we are here to sent you home!

As fate would have it Mr AJ Burnett proved to be a person not ready for the task of sending the Angels home. After walking the first batter the next 4 batters made AJ look like a batting practice pitcher. I believe thanks to his weak performance the Angels had new live breathed into them.

So the night rolled on with Yanks behind by 4 runs. For some weird reason AJ was actually holding the Angel line up down. Then in the famous 7th inning when all seemed just about cooked. The Yanks started their own streak of baserunners. After the Yanks Melky Cabrera got a one out double followed a walk to Posada and a walk to Derek Jeter the Yankees looked like they were in position to do something. The Angels starting pitcher was John Lackey who had done a great job up until the infamous seventh. As Johnny Damon flew out to left field the big pitcher was just one out from getting out of the jam he created.

This is where the Yanks got a break. Inexpicably Big John was removed from the game by his manager. To the Yanks credit they cashed in on this move. First Mark Tiexiera hit a bases clearing double then after an intentional walk to Alex Rodriguez. Hideki Matsui drove in Mark Tiexiera with a single. As the Yanks tied the game at 4 I was sittng in shock. They had exploded so rapidly. To complete the fascinating come back Robinson Cano tripled in the other two base runners. Voila! The Yanks were ahead 6-4. After Mr Swisher made his usual out.

The Yankees were only NINE OUTS FROM THEIR 40TH WORLD SERIES APPEARANCE!

I am getting fired up just thinking about it!

Oh well, then the Angels caught a break- Joe Girardi the Yankee manager decided to bring back to pitch the starter who had caused all this mess.Joe brought back AJ to pitch the seventh inning.
WHAT A FREAKIN MISTAKE- He was not able to do anything but light another Angel fuse and propel them into game 6!

So here we are on this overcast Friday morning on the east coast waiting for what is fore casted to be a rainy game 6 on Saturday night in the Bronx, New York.



I want to beat yesterday's mark of burning 872 calories in 60 minutes today on the life cycle- I am determined to do that!
Similar to Roger Bannister, I will break the path down into smaller pieces. Ole Rog broke the 4 minute mile for the first time by a human runner. His method was to look at each minute and to see if he could go a 1/4 of a mile for 4 straight minutes.

I must burn 225 calories every 15 minutes 4 times in a row! Then I will have burned 900 in an hour and I will achieve my big goal of averaging 15 calories burned for 60 minutes - quick math tells me in order to beat yesterday's total of burning 872 calories in 60 minutes I need to burn 218.25 calories every 15 minutes.

Well I did it. I got off to great pace for first time in awhile I felt little fatigue. I decided to challenge myself to reached certain goals a little faster than before. What I did was say to myself "okay good, now can you do a little more a little faster?" By doing this I kept the Bannister Pace in fact, I was burning more than 15 calories a minute. So, by the time I reached the 60 minute mark I had burned 912 calories- How sweet it is! I felt great and was excited have my best ride of the week today.

• Sunday burned - 879 plank zero
• Monday burned- 902- plank 21
• Tuesday burned -863-plank 27
• Wednesday burned -851- plank 28
• Thursday burned - 872- plank 45 new record
• Friday burned - 912- plank 22

In summary, its has been a great week!

Day 608 - Caught in a day dream

As the Yanks are one step away from their 40Th World Series appearance-

Being a Yankee fan for many years keeps me on an even thought process. On one hand I see the Yankees are rolling and are looking very good to win the pennant. However on the other hand the Yanks have not fully exercised the 3-0 lead in 2004 ALCS. The Yanks have not wiped out the memory of that awful collapse of 04 and until they do, I will be suspect to the thought that it can happen again.

I cannot ignore the facts that in the 04 series three things happened prior to the collapse.
· The Yankees defeated the Twins in Minnesota to win the ALDS
· Their opponent did not hit with men in scoring position
· Their opponent looked like they were finished, especially after losing by 9 or more runs to go down to their third defeat.

The score was 19 to 8, Yanks up 3 games to none.
This year the score was 10 to 1, Yanks up 3 games to one.

In 04, the starting pitcher in the first attempt to close out the series and get the Yanks to their 40Th World Series appearance was El Duke Hernandez and he did fine.
The infamous ninth inning happened where Mariano Rivera had a 4-3 lead. The a huge foot note to that inning was that Mariano was attempting to complete a 2 inning postseason save for the 1st time in this series and the 11Th time in his career.Prior to this attempt he had been successful 10 out of the 11 times.
The only blemish was in the 7Th game vs Arizona in the 2001 WS.

However, after that hiccup Mariano had been perfect in 2 inning save opportunities. In the 2ND game of the 2003 ALDS vs the twins he retired all 6 batters he faced. In the 3rd game of the 2003 ALCS vs Boston, Mariano retired all 6 batters he faced.In the 5Th game of the ALCS he was reached for one run and still got the save by getting the side retired in the ninth 1, 2, 3. Then in the pennant clincher Mariano pitched 3 inning and did not give up a run and only 2 hits. Rivera faced 11 batters in all and only 2 reached base..Mariano was the winning pitcher as Aaron Boone’s home run launched the Yankees to their 39 Th World Series appearance. In the World Series he was called on again to get 6 outs and he faced 7 batters and only one reached base.

In 04 Mariano did not have a great post season he had blown a save after he entered game 2 of ALDs and did not look overly dominant as in he had in other series. Even in the prior two appearances in ALCS he was touched up for a few hits.

When he came into the ninth after pitching a strong eighth you thought with the opponent down to their last at bats vs Mariano the 40Th appearance was in the bag.

OH WELL!

So, back to tonight, its Lackey a gutty gritty pitcher if there ever was one vs a finicky, wild throwing AJ Burnett who has had tremendous bouts with wildness.Will AJ deliver us to the 40Th? While the opposition has looked bad for most of the series lest us forget how potent a lineup they have. Explosive to say the least all clutch during the regular season. Poised to break out like a corralled bull right ready to strike.
Can Burnett’s incredible stuff keep them contained? This is a huge game only because the recent close calls have been elusive to The Yankees grasp!

Now I need to nail down Day 608!


My ride was as strong as I could. I only managed to burn 872 in 60 minutes. However, after a few hundred crunches my competitiveness kicked in and I proceeded to set a personal record by doing 45 straight minutes on the plank exercise. It felt awesome! I was contemplating not doing the plank exercise today. When I was unable to rip through the ride I was kind of disappointed and was feeling tired. After looking around and deciding not to feel sorry for myself I said "the heck with it lets go for it!" I kept challenging myself every minute and before I knew it, the record was in sight.

I am psyched to see what I will have tomorrow - 609 is sitting on the vine -

Day 607- One win away from a return to the WORLD SERIES

That oughta get you pumped! What does that have to do with me? Back in 1967 I saw my first Yankee game, I have been Yankee fan since 1965.

I noticed I was not getting my jets off the ground like I usually do so I lowered my seat on the life cycle. It seemed to help a little but I did not get the results I had been getting in the past.
This week's calorie burn numbers are lower than they had been here is a quick look at my numbers this month:

• October 1st-939
• October 2ND-963
• October 3rd- 862--pedal broke
• October 4TH- 848-different location
• October 5TH- 902
• October 6TH- 855 + 225
• October 7 TH-903
• October 8TH-919
• October 9TH- 903
• October 10TH- 844
• October 11TH-834-different location
• October 12TH-835
• October 13TH-902
• October 14Th- 906
• October 15TH-923
• October 16Th-900- pedal broke AGAIN
• October 17Th- 728
• October 18TH-879- different location
• October 19 TH-902
• October 20 TH-863
• October 21 ST- 851

It looks like my top day to burn calories was the day before the pedal broke the first time this month. Once the pedal broke I used a different life cycle. This life cycle is a more difficult one to burn calories on. On the 13TH the pedal was fixed! Hence, the more calories were burned. Then after the pedal broke again, less calories were burned.Notice the drop between October 17TH and from October 19TH- 21 ST.

Today I burned 851 calories in 60 minutes then did 28 minutes straight through on the plank exercise- I felt strong while doing it! I finished with 800 crunches-I could have done more but I was needed else where.

I miss that awesome calorie burn I was getting on the broken life cycle. However, it is an awesome challenge with the more difficult life cycle. I want my jets back! So be it, Day 608 AWAITS!

Day 606- The temperature is a little warmer

Great day to be challenged- Focus and finish is what a great football coach used to always say.
That same coach used to say if this does not get you fired up then your pilot light must be out!
Here is another one: If you are not fired with enthusiasm then you will be fired with enthusiasm!
I am sorry these quotes are just rolling out today.

My time is limited so I am focused on getting a good work out in as soon as I can.

Here is an interesting question; what if everyone had a workout blog? Here is my answer.

• it might help people by allowing them to keep better records of their workouts
• since accountability would increase they may have a tendency to work out more often
• people would be able to express their emotions about working out
• people would improve their health consciousness
• more people would understand that its not uncommon to feel the way they do
• people would raise their standards on good health
• maybe there would be more healthy people
• more healthy people means people would be happier

I think you get the picture the world would be a much BETTER place -

Go out and work out and start A WORKOUT BLOG TODAY!

Here is one more quote: The longest of all journeys starts with the first step.

We must always remember its not the the size of the dog in the fight its the size of the fight in the dog!

The reason I bring this quote up is... Because I was in a dog fight today. My fight was to stay at the golden pace of 15 calories per minute. I did a fantastic job for 40 straight minutes. However come the next 20 minutes I was like a pilot trying to save his plane from crashing. I did everything I could think of to keep the pace. I raised the resistance by increasing the level of difficulty on the life cycle. For the 1st 40 minutes I was riding at level 22. When I started to slow I raised my level to level 25. Which is the highest level on the life cycle. when could not maintain the pace I decided to lower the level to get my flow back.That seemed to work except I had fallen to far off the pace.So in an effort to get my pace back up I raised the level to a 25 again. This time my plan was to do it for 2 minutes with a goal to burn 32 calories in that 2 minute span. I managed to burn 30. As a result of all my efforts I did burn 863 calories in 60 minutes. But do know what? I had fun!

Now I know I have said this before but I believe I am a very competitive person. As evidenced by my attitude after I was unable to reach my goal of 900 in 60. I decided to do 3 sets of 200 crunches on two different exercises for a total of 1200 crunches along with another set of 5 minutes straight on another exercise of crunches for a total of 1400+ crunches . After that, 27 straight minutes on the plank exercise.

Needless to say I was sweating after the work out and felt great!

You see the size of the individual has no connection to the amount of the determination in the individual. The effort I have put forth for the last 606 days has nothing to do with how tall I am, how much I weigh, how smart I am and where come from. None of that matters, all that matters is how bad I want to do it!

There ain't never been a test and there never will be a test that measure the size of a person's heart. You can't cut open a person and look inside to see if they have what it takes. The only way you can judge a person is by putting out there and see if they can do it!

This is what, I believe, is meant by the size of the fight in the dog!

Its onto Day 607 ------

Day 605- Well I got a good rest!

The last two days I was operating on a total of about 7 hours of sleep. Well, today I got 7 hours of sleep. So I feel very refresh and excited to see what I have today-

"Everyday is a gift, that is is why we call it the present"

Let's roll!

Had an awesome ride - I was flying at 322 calories burned in the 1st 20 minutes. Was at a strong 624 at the 40 minute mark. Then my mettle was tested and I finished with a well deserved 902. My focus was sharp as I was very determined to succeed in my goal of burning 900+ calories in the hour. The biggest challenge came when after the good strong start I needed to maintain that pace. The euphoria of the effort makes it irresistible to keeping going!

Day 606 is coming right at ya!

Day 604- A nice rainy cold morning to test my mettle

Mettle is that a good word? It means Courage and fortitude; spirit-WOW, THAT WORD IS RIGHT ON THE MARK! One needs a good supply of mettle to pass a test of energy. I am buoyed by last night's exciting win by the NYY. I slept only from 2:30 am - 5:30 am but hey, why not test the ole mettle of this dude?

I will be optimistic! My legs got a rest yesterday because they never really got out of gear. Now today I have a clear shot to be fresh LOOSE and excited. The opportunity is ripe, the door is open I need to run through it!

Here we go, Day 604 is here with the open door.

Met the challenge head on! Did 455 in 1st 30 minutes ended with a 879 calorie burn for 60 minutes. Felt great it was awesome to get back into a competitive groove again! Noticed a tremendous amount of sweat being drained from my body it was wonderful- Extraordinary endorphin rush- Did 700+ crunches

I am pumped for Day 605

Day 603-The cooler climes presents an interesting challenge

I seem to use that word often - What word? Challenge! The dictionary defines it as to arouse or stimulate especially by presenting with difficulties. Let us break that definition down. Let us define difficulties-the quality or state of being difficult- Difficult is defined as hard to do, make, or carry out - Since all challenges are interesting in their own way, what I should mention here is why is this change in the weather interesting? Hmm, for one the body or should I say my body takes a little longer to warm up. This makes the body go through period of time when it feels numb then gradually awake. So the most interesting part to this is the realization of how awake the body is.

So as I head out to day 603 it will be interesting to note my body's state.


Today was a first, got on the life cycle and never got into gear. No i never got my heart rate up to its usual 125+. In fact, stayed around 115 which 65% capacity. Only did a measly 728 in 60 minutes. Apparently my lack of rest was a little to tough on my legs. I only slept 3 1/2 hours last night. So when the clock struck 5:30 then 7am my legs were not in position to crank out a good charge.

So be it. I learned a lot. My body feels different when I do not bust it as a had been for the previous 607 work outs. I am okay with it I focusing on a very good bounce back day tomorrow.
Day 604!

Day 602-Up early presents an interesting challenge

GET LOOSE! One of the key things about doing your workouts on consecutive days is your ability to GET LOOSE! I am happy to be awake and determined to put forth a strong effort on this 607TH workout in the last 602 days.

I am not sure where you are but the weather here has gotten real chilly quickly. Last night along with some rain we got the temp down to 33 degrees- HECK its only the middle of October. To put that in perspective they have not even gotten to the World Series. Who knows maybe there is another warm spell coming.

I am off to see what I have today ------

So as we breeze along - Managed to squeeze out a good 900 burned in 60. In other words, I burned 900 calories in an hour. I left gym after a good stretch and no ab or arm work. I sensed I was better to get off to work earlier today.

As we approach another milestone I suppose the only Home run hitter numbers I really respect that are left are Ken Griffey Jr 630, Willie Mays 660, Babe Ruth 714 and Hank Aaron 755. Ken Griffey Jr maybe retiring soon. So his number now stands at 630. To catch 630 I need about a month to get there. November 13Th 2009 is the target to tie Ken Griffey Jr's number.

My journey has been awesome I hope whoever reads this feels a sense of accomplishment. I feel a sense of accomplishment because I have maintained my focus to continue on this path.

Tomorrow I look forward to cranking it up again on day 603- May the Lord have mercy!

Day 601- Boy, you got to be in position!

What? Position? Position for what? How about just about anything. Okay if I am in position what does that do? Think about it. Where you are mentally and physically can make all the difference in the world. Let us assume you are in the building and a fire breaks out and you wind up saving everyone by helping them get out safely. Or you are the best person to do something and the person in charge realizes that and chooses you. Thus, this appointment leads to success. How about if you get voted in to be a chairperson for a big fundraiser and by being in position of chairperson you get to meet highly influential people. With their influence you are able to help make significant changes in the world.

You see it all starts by being in position! I have heard people am sorry I am in no position to do that. Why aren't you in position to do that? I can answer that because you did not put yourself in position to do that? I feel life is endless stream of goals that are either met or not met but being position has to be on of life's biggest goals.

We all know that we are the writer, producer, the director and the leading character of our own feature motion picture. The outcome depends on us.

What makes most of us do what we do? I got it! INCENTIVES- What type of incentives? It depends on what drives you?

• money
• love
• power
• attention
• free time

Just like anything how much desire you have for anyone of these listed below usually determines how fast you will be driven to get them.

Great question:
What would you spend your time doing if there was no such thing as money?

Time for Day 601-

Folks, there ain't nutten better than the feeling you get after an awesome work out!

I feel so good I can't stand it. When your body gets recharged, and you feel like your floating and there are no side effects.Man! What more can you ask for. I had a thought today while I was working out that motivate me. Its funny it started as a little whisper then it got louder and louder. Do want to hear what it said? Try as hard as you want it won't hurt you? First I thought ya right? Then I thought why not do it? I never had such a lucid motivating thought like that in my life! So, I went for it And do you know what? It felt awesome and I did not get hurt.

The voice was right! As this week has unfolded I practiced CANI - Remember constant and never ending improvement. Here is a quick look at this week's numbers and improvements.

MONDAY: Burned 835 calories in 60 minutes +zero crunches+18 minute plank

TUESDAY:Burned 902 calories in 60 minutes+ 1000 plus crunches+30 minute plank

IMPROVEMENT- 67 more calories in an hour+1000 plus crunches+12 minutes on plank

WEDNESDAY: Burned 906 calories in 60 minutes+1006 plus crunches+ 32 minutes on plank

IMPROVEMENT- 4 more calories in an hour+6 plus crunches+2 minutes on plank

THURSDAY: Burned 923 calories in 60 minutes+1500 plus crunches+ 36 minutes on plank

1st 20 minutes burned 311 calories ,2ND 20 minutes burned 309 calories and last 20 minutes burned 303 calories= Total 923 calories.

IMPROVEMENT- 17 more calories in an hour+444 plus crunches+4 minutes on plank

That is pretty neat, three consecutive days of improvement in three areas of the work out.

Life is sweet!

Day 600- I am excited about the opportunity to work out today

On this date last year- I was on my 235Th day of consecutive workouts. I was able to burn 913 calories in 60 minutes at the Rocky River, Ohio fitworks gym. I was there on visit of three days.

Two hundred and thirty five days.Now, a year later the number has reached 600, WOW!

To be a visionary on this date next year I will have done 965 consecutive days. That's exciting because that would put the streak at 35 days short of 1,000. As it stands now that day would be November 18Th 2010.

A we hurdle along the clock keeps ticking and we all realize that we are here for just a flicker of time. Let us all remember this each day and make the most of each precious second-

I've come to realize that focus is the key. If you want good results you have got to have your mind firmly on the matter at hand. Today, I started off on a pace of 68 calories burned in the 1st 5 minutes which equals an average of burning 13.6 calories per minute.By the 10 minute mark I had burned 148 calories. I first caught the 15 calorie per minute pace after 12 minutes when I burned 180 calories in 12 minutes. After the 12 minute mark I stayed on the 15 calorie per minute pace until I had burned 906 calories in 60 minutes- Can I get an AMEN? I was pleased with that result. Establishing and keeping that pace takes a good effort while it produces a wonderful rewarding feeling.

Within the next minute I was doing over 1,006 crunches then 32 minutes on the plank. I love it because I was practicing CANI

• Constant


• AND


• Never ending


• Improvement

Since I went from 902 calories in 60 miuntes on Day 599.To 906 calories burned in 60 minutes on Day 600, I practiced CANI.I also practiced CANI when I did 1000+ crunches on day 599 then did 1006+ crunches on day 600. Adding in an extra 2 minutes on my plank from day 599 to day 600. On day 599 I did 30 minutes on the plank and on 600 I did 32 minutes.

My spirits were high after today's awesome work out.-

Day 599- Have I really been working out for this many days in a row?

Yep sure have- Been on this earth for awhile and have seen a lot. I was alive when

• The start and end of the Berlin Wall
• JFK assassination
• Martin Luther King assassination
• Bobby Kennedy assassination
• Riots on streets of New Haven
• Racial riots in both my Junior High and High School
• The Beatles arrival and break up John and George's Death
• Man landed on the moon
• Vietnam War beginning and end
• Kent State student killed by US Troops
• Munich Olympics 11 Israeli killed by terrorists
• All the President's Men President Nixon resigns in disgrace

Just to name a few things that have happened since I have arrived on this earth. But today mark's a special day in the world of working out. Today I celebrate the fact that I have been give the opportunity to use my body to enjoy a great work out for 599 straight days. Here is a quick review of the dates that have flown by:

• Day 100 June 1st 2008
• Day 200 September 9Th 2008
• Day 300 December 18Th 2008
• Day 400 march 28TH 2009
• Day 500 July 6Th 2009

Six hundred days and I feel great! Here is something I have observed when you work out a large amount of consecutive days you learn a tremendous amount about your body and your mind.

Your learn how your body really feels on that day. Why and how do you learn this? It is because you are asking your body to be stretched as far as it can go for that day's work out. So when you are done you know how you really feel that day.

You learn about your mind because you feel such an awesome high each day you can compare how you felt before the work out and after the workout. In essence, you have taken your mind on a wonderful journey each day to sheer bliss. Your mind responds by giving you a clear head and a great feeling of well being.

So, that is a glimpse of the body and soul of a person that has done something every day for 599 days.

I sincerely hope I have helped you today.

Day 598- to quote the Spinners "I took my time"

http://www.stlyrics.com/songs/s/spinners9871/gamespeopleplay324121.html


　
They Just Can't Stop It (Games People Play)
( The Spinners )
Can't get no rest
Don't know how I work all day
When will I learn?
Memories get in the way
I walk around
I can't hear a sound, folks talkin' loud, but I
Don't see at all
I gotta get away, gotta get away, I don't
Know where to go
It's hopeless so
I guess I'll leave it alone well I
Spent all my day
Fixin' up to go somewhere
Thought I was late
And I found she wasn't there
I guess I'll find
Love, peace of mind, some other time, but I
Still have today
I gotta get away, gotta get away, I don't
Know where to go
It's hopeless so
I guess I'll leave it alone
Games people play
Night or day they're just not matchin'
What they should do
Keeps me feelin' blue
Been down too long
Right, wrong, they just can't stop it
Spendin' all day
Thinking just of you
Twelve forty-five
Headed for the subway home
I took my time
'Cause I felt so all alone
Not far away
I heard a funny sound, took a look around, and I
Could see her face
Smilin' as she came, callin' out my name, so I
Know where to go
We'll take it slow
Guess I'll call it a day
Games people play
Night or day they're just not matchin'
What they should do
Keeps me feelin' blue
Games people play.....



Lets play some workout - I promised myself some rest in between workouts so now I am -
DRESSED
FED
AND READY TO PLAY


Day 598 is in the books- -I feel great and I wish I had done better. I just completed a sentence that had both a positive comment and a request for improvement. I feel great and I wish I did more. I jentence. The magic is to do it with a loving caring and a sincere approach.

This thought process leads to three simple concepts:

• people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care
• the person or organism that can relate to the most individuals or groups on their level wins
• seek first to understand then be understood.

It was Dale Carnegie who said people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Now that sounds real obvious to me. Why would anyone really care to listen to someone who does not have their best interest in mind. This highlights the fact all people are tuned in to one radio station its is called WIFM. What does WIFM stand for?

• What
• Is In It
• For
• Me?

Reaching people or groups of people on their level of understanding is essential in gaining trust. Kipling said best in his poem "If" -If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch; tells it all. When in Rome do as the Roman's do.

This is Steven Covey, seek first to understand then be understood. Before you criticize and accuse walk a mile in my shoes. Know all you can about the other person if you want them to understand you.

I think here is where the human being is most vulnerable because here is where the big E comes into play. This also where the soul is in a battle with the ego. Use your mind for a second on this one and you will get the picture. Think back to any time when something happened or someone did something and as of a result you reached an outcome that you did not enjoy. How did you feel? My guess is not happy. Well happiness is a big time emotion. We all seek it we all want it. So, if you are like most if you do not feel it your emotions kick in. Now, if you feel the cause of your unhappiness is from someone else you are ready to think unfavorable towards that individual. Unless you are a person of tremendous love and patience your ego of how you want to look in the eyes of the world will matter more to you for that second or maybe a minute or an hour instead of your soul. See your soul says lets do good while your ego says oh no, let's look good! So this is your search seek to understand first, always in every endeavour- I wish I practiced these three things a little more often.

Love, peace and goodwill towards all mankind.

Day 597- Whoa, there is definitely a chill in the air!

Here we sit you reading me writing. Yesterday's performance made me think of my BAG- If you recall its simply - Ones blessings, accomplishments and goals. Checking my bag on this date -

I must reflect on all I have. Earl Nightgale calls it an attitude of gratitude. I must sincerely thank God for all I have and I mean that sincerely. I often thought if you do not take the time to thank your maker where are you? With distinctive chill in the air one can feel the next season is out there a second winter. A second winter on this journey, that is pretty neat. My goals are obvious break 900 in 60 today. I have to go now but look forward to reporting back later.

I gave it my all - i rode a different life cycle. It presented a serious challenge managed only to burn 834 calories. However two things; one a sweated more on that ride than I had at anytime this week, two the resistance on that life cycle was way more challenging ANY one I have ever rode. I did about 500 crunches- my planking was less because the mats i used got very slippery due to my perspiration. I know that sounds like an excuse but I just could hold my self up because my elbows kept sliding towards my head- Bizarre.

Day 596- Up early anxious to get a good start

Last night I was delighted by the results of the MLB! Today my rising early was needed to allow me to spend my time wisely. My schedule is real simple:

• work out
• work
• sleep
• work out
• work
• sleep

I guess you could squeeze eat in there too. With my new schedule the weekends are the only time when I usually get up early and work out. Since my schedule has changed I get up and do stuff then work out, then do more stuff then sleep.

I believe we all get into a flow. Our flow's can serve us well or serve us bad but either way the flow is there. I suppose a flow can be described as a routine but I think that is to generic of a word. A flow is something that absorbs all of you. It becomes your being and takes you where you want to go or not.

When I workout and get into that flow its on a different level than when I am in a daily flow. When I get into the work out flow time has no place its just there as a person to be dealt with. Understanding what I am saying here is not that easy, it is on a different level. I compete every time I get to my work out. Or should I say my work out comes to me. Wow! I am getting deep here-

Okay, time to have my work out come to me!

In early - learned a lot. It is indeed a challenge to change the schedule of working out earlier. Body just is not as loose. That's okay maybe next Saturday I will warm up for a while before I start my ride. It was fun though I sweated more today than any other day this week and I burned more calories. Go figure?

Ah life is good, Some one once said when you are in the middle of something and you want to check to see how you are doing always check your B.A.G- What is your B.A.G? It is B your blessings- A- your accomplishments G- yours goals. pretty neat huh? Moral of the story no matter where you are you should always check your BAG!

P.S. that someone was Denis Waitely:

http://deniswaitley.com/ezines/2008/ezineissue115.htm

When you make a mistake in life, or get ridiculed or rejected, look at mistakes as detours on the road to success, and view ridicule as ignorance. After a rejection, take a look at your BAG. B is for Blessings. Things you are endowed with that you often take for granted like life itself, health, living in an abundant country, family, friends, career. A is for accomplishments. Think of the many things you are proud of that you have done so far. And G is for Goals. Think of your big dreams and plans for the future that motivate you. If you took your BAG – blessings, accomplishments and goals – to a party, and spread them on the floor, in comparison to all your friends and the people you admire, you'd take your own bag home, realizing that you have as much going for yourself as anyone else. Always view rejection as part of one performance, not as a turn down of the performer.

God Bless All-

DAY 595 Here we come again!

Ready to dip my toe in the water for another challenge anxious to see what I have. For the first time in quite a while felt a little shaky yesterday. However, today I feel great! It is a clarion call to action! We must do what the founder of McDonald's Ray Kroc said,

" look sharp and act sharp when you are green your growing when you are ripe you are rotting."

Today is the day seize it- Carpe Diem! Pain is not the enemy its an alley - It tells me, exactly where I am. My compass of progress is my threshold of pain- I will embrace it- I once said "what if pain was a facade that was put there to allow us the great feeling of accomplishment" Can I get an AMEN?

Today was beautiful I loved the way I felt. Yes, it was a struggle but a goo-od struggle.Feeling strong while meeting the challenge- I was able to burst to a 460 calories burned in the 1st 30 minutes. I gave it all I had to pound out a duplicate number of calories burned in the next 30 minutes but I fell in short. i wanted to burn another 460 which would have given me 920 calories for 60 minutes. However, my legs were not buying it. I decided that I had to do 900 + despite any obstacles- And and .... I did it! Life is grand!

After it was time for ab work- Did about 700+ crunches around 33 minutes of plank - Was charged felt strong !

Special thought here: today was my 600Th work out in the last 595 days!
600x20= 12, 000 miles the earth is only 24859.82 miles - I am almost half way there!

Day 594- Okay do you buy this?

Most people work up to their natural abilities and then stop. By work up I am referring to they achieve the performance their natural abilities will give them. The flip side of that is most people do not go beyond that level of competence.

I feel its great that people use all their natural abilities, but sad that people do not stretch themselves to become more of what they could be. My question is why? Why wouldn't a person try to stretch and grow? I have a few theories I have heard through the years. The number one reason is because most just get comfortable and content where they are. Number two they do not realize they can be more of who they are. Number three they realize they can be more but they do not believe in themselves enough to go the extra way to get better.

So what am I talking about here? I guess it all comes down to attitude. You have to feel it in your heart that you were put here for a purpose. A purpose that is very big! You have got to see yourself involved in a great happening something that is bigger than yourself. Okay, let us say you found something that is big and you can play an important part in it.

There you go, now you have got to become more than you ever thought you could be.Know this, you are special, your opportunity is coming believe it and great things will happen.

I hope these thoughts I just imparted were refreshing. I have been refreshed by typing them.

I am excited to go after Day 594-

I arrived with a clear head to work out. I started out a little slow then came on strong and then held on at the end. After the first 10 minutes I was barely at 15 calories burned per minute. Then I set a goal to see how many minutes in a row I could burn 16 calories. I did about 20 or so minutes . By the time I got to the 40 minute mark I had burned a total of 621 calories. That was awesome! Now, I knew if I just did a 15 calorie per minute ride from this point on I would get a 921 calories burned in 60 minutes which is very good. I battled and got a 919- Awesome!
Finished my work out with a 30 minute plank and 300 + crunches- Can I get an Amen?

I just realized how bored I would get hearing about some else is golf game. Especially when the golfer go into a shot by shot description of their game-I remember trying concentrate on their game but it was tough.

So on that note I apologize for boring you with my work outs. But my motivation for sharing this detail with you is to hopefully get you excited about competing. I think the reason why people do not get working out is they forgot how to compete. I think most people have not competed since they were back in high school or earlier. So here I am telling you my story so you can start telling other people yours ---


Day 595 is coming!

Day 593- We must always stand guard of our thoughts

The Yankees are overwhelming favorites to beat the Minnesota Twins tonight. The Yankees are big favorites to win tonight because the Twins have just finished an incredibly wild comeback to win the division. So what does this have to do with my blog? It is inspiring for anybody that may feel overwhelmed or in a situation that does not look good now.

Consider the chances the Twins had of accomplishing what they accomplished. The Twins were out of the playoffs and needed to win every game of the 4 games they had left. They also needed to have the team in front of them, the Detroit Tigers, lose 3 or more of the last 4 games they had left. If both teams did what needed to be done the two teams would be tied and would play a winner take all playoff game. The winner would go on to play the Yankees ( ranked as the best team in baseball) the following night.

Now understand this because this where the inspiration comes in. What the Twins were attempting to do had never been done before. In other words, the Twins were attempting to rewrite history. They were moving in a direction that no one moved before. When they completed it, baseball as old and established as it is had never seen anything like it before.

These guys never gave up hope! We must all never give up hope.
One of the better ways to clarify that thought is always remember -

"What the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve"

Today I go after 593- Remember what Franklin Delano Roosevelt said in he day of infamy speech- we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God!

So, those words were ringing in my ears as I found myself on an early slowish pace. I decided I was going to average 15 calories burned in one hour's time. I decided that I was going to burn a total of 900 calories in an hour. I organized my plan of doing that when I realized how tough that was to be if, I did not pick up the pace. Here is something I have learned over the last 593 days of riding. When the body is being wracked by the pain of the challenge of pedaling as fast and hard as you can it is not always that easy to come up with a plan to accomplish your riding goals. When I ride I always have a goal in mind to burn 900 calories hour. Sometimes it comes easy other times its a fun battle.
Today by the time I caught my breath and noticed I was on track for a sub par performance I figured I had to ride faster that I was presently going. However, the question was how much faster? Here is what I added up in my head. I was burning 13 1/2 calories per minute after 10 minutes. So I guessed that if I was to burn 15 calories per minute I needed to burn an average of one and a half more per minute to reach my goal of burning 15 calories per minute. The number I was determined to meet was 16 calories per minute. I was going to burn 16 calories a minute until I was on the average burning 15 per minute.

Bottom line, I did it, I kept getting real close to burning enough calories to get on pace but then I would just fall short. I must have done that for about 10 minutes, at least. I would be 3 off the pace, then 4 off the pace, then, 2 off then ,1 off then, 2 off. Finally, I caught the pace - ooh what a feeling! The more I do this the more I realize how similar this is compare to a race against another person. The only difference, the number represents the person or opponent. -COOL-
After I completed the ride I did a series of crunches about 900 or so. Then I did the plank for only 22 minutes.

I hope your visit into my world has given all some hope, inspiration and fun. As we set for the big 594!

Day 592- As I approach this day I can not help but wonder...

See that is the magic of the day. It fills us with wonder. I had no idea what to wonder when I wrote that. I guess what I should do is ask myself what am I excited about today? A more powerful question is why am I excited about that? What about that makes me excited? There are a set of great daily questions that Tony Robbins put out many years ago. I feel they are great questions because after answering them you can not help but feel energized and focused.


1. The Morning Questions
Answer the following questions every morning to set yourself up for a positive day.
　
1.What am I most happy about in my life right now?
What about that makes me happy?
How does that make me feel?
(Repeat these two secondary questions after each main question)
2.What am I most excited about in my life right now?
3.What am I most proud of in my life right now?
4.What am I most grateful for in my life right now?
5.What am I enjoying most in my life right now?
6.What am I most committed to in my life right now?
7.Who do I love? Who loves me?

I told you these were awesome questions! So, are you set up for an awesome day?

One thing these questions do is they take your mind off of whatever is bugging you.
Right now as you may have guessed I am focused on the work out. The challenge of it all, to go there and compete- And I wonder..... What have I got today? What numbers are at the end of my ride? Also, how great will I feel at the conclusion of the workout? The wonder of all that drives me.

Today's work out was special.Why was it special? For one, I started slow then built up speed. Number two, I used that momentum to gain confidence and set a personal record.

The life cycle that I now ride now is a major challenge to do 15 minutes or more a minute in calories burned. So when I completed my first hour of riding I was determined to do two things. get to a 1000 burned calories in the next 10 minutes of riding and set the record on the plank exercise I was determined to do 40 or more consecutive minutes in the plank position. I am ecstatic to report that I accomplished both! Can I get an Amen?

I found myself so determined that I did burned 225 calories in 15 minutes. Which is awesome considering that I was not able to do an average of 15 calories burned per minute for the first 60 minutes. After the ride I was on a mission to set the record I had set, the record I had set was doing the plank exercise for 37 consecutive minutes I said to myself that I will do 40 minutes or more. I did 41 minutes today- Can I get an Amen?

Tomorrow is Day 593, I am psyched to see how well I do!

Day 591- Are we having any fun?

Life boils down to a few main things. What are they? I suppose for everybody its a little different. I believe one word does a great job in answering why people do what they do. Do you want to know what it is? Its INCENTIVES! Think about it. What gets you out of bed in the morning? What gets you to get dressed? What gets you to school or work? There is that word again- INCENTIVES! The dictionary defines it: –noun
1.
something that incites or tends to incite to action or greater effort, as a reward offered for increased productivity.
Okay, not bad. But remember, everyone has an incentive for doing anything. Just sitting in a chair requires an incentive. There is a reason why you are sitting there. You want to receive something. Relaxation, to read my blog, look at the ceiling or anything. Now, an incentive is only there because you put it there. You placed it there and you are going towards it.

So in summary, I believe the key to life is identifying your own incentives- For example why do you not want to work out? No time, no energy blah blah. NO INCENTIVE- You know, most people are tuned into the same radio station. Its called WIFM- Whats in it for me.

Happy days- find your incentives and go out there and charge!

Okay I did it. I charged, did a 471 calorie burn in the first 30 minutes. Slowed a lot in the next 15 minutes. then gathered myself up to finish with a 902 in burned calories for the 60 minute ride. Felt extraordinarily well after the ride. Which is and was my incentive. Hey, do we all have an incentive to feel well? Of course we do! once I finish my ride as usual I had remove my totally soaked clothes and get into some dry ones. hey, that is something I heard a lot of major league pitchers do in between innings in baseball. So why not me? After the ride and wearing dry clothes I went to some crunches then the plank and back to some crunches.I did around 900 crunches and 25 minutes straight through on the plank exercise. Once again it felt... EXTRAORDINARY!

I am excited about tomorrow why? Because I get to workout again. How about you are you excited about tomorrow? What is your incentive for this evening? Or tomorrow?

Day 590- Keep charging

Batteries like people need to be recharged. Find something that gives you a charge. A thought a movement. Remember you are one second away from a surge. Always stay positive focus on the now.

Just to wrap up Day 590 I did a gut wrenching fun workout today in my new Sunday workout place. It is interesting how this facility has no fans just high ceilings and it creates an environment of stagnant air. The stagnant air makes it it much easier to sweat. Oh yeah, it is much easier to work up a good lather there. I love it just the same as the other facility that has huge fans that although you sweat you are slightly cooled while you are working out.

Rode the life cycle as strong as I could felt nice and strong for the first 30 minutes. I waned in power a little in the second thirty minutes but still managed a good solid effort.

My plank was the longest I have done on the mats in the Sunday facility. Pounded out some 400 or so crunches. Stretched a little - only a little primarily because this facility has no stretch equipment. Felt great and then I was done-

Day 591 AWAITS

Day 589- Leadership: Leadership is everything!

You show me anything in America that works and I will show you a leader at work. Take successful boy scout girl scout troop. Take local YMCA,high school music department, pta.Chances are great that a strong leader is behind those organizations. The greatness of a leader is the leader vision. When I say vision I mean to see ahead into the future to see great things happening for the followers. A leader must be able to sell his vision to his followers. A leader's vision has to big enough to fit all of its followers into it. A leader must convey the simp[le thought of here is where we are going and when we get there we will all be satisfied. A leader must always work on stretching the vision of not only himself but everyone around him.

I know this are powerful words coming from somone who has no leadership status but hey, it is all common sense. Just in case if you ever wondered if you are a leader,ask yourself one simple question is anyone following me? That means in anything you do?

People that have a great outlook on life usually have someone following them whether or not they realize it or not. Leadership is both tangible and intangible. Tangible would be someone being led to a certain spot in a building. Intangible would someone imparting the words of somone else's vision.

Having something in mind to do and getting others involved to accomplish that plan is leadership.
Go out and lead today!

I did day 589 - for some reason my legs were not as loose as I would have liked so I did a 862 in 60 minutes. I was operating on less rest than I had all week. I suppose that was a factor.

Tomorrow marks day 590. it also will mean that I have done 595 60 minute work outs in 590 days. It also means I will have traveled 595x20 miles =11,900 virtual miles in that span of time.

I am a leader so everybody shout ---I LOVE TO WORK OUT!

Day 588- We are nearing another milestone

This reminds of the reported and feared ""Checkpoint Charlie".Now, before I go ahead and do some research on this I am going to reflect on its purpose. If I recall correctly ole "Check Point Charlie" was the place all visitors had to pass before they returned to communist East Berlin. Here were the questions they would ask: Who are you? Where have you been? What did you do there? Where are you going? What is your purpose for going there? Who do you plan on seeing there? What is your purpose for being with that person or persons? Pretty tough questions I always thought.

I suppose the concept of ""Checkpoint Charlie"." was to let you know if you come to visit we want to know everything about you and we will be watching your every move. Nice huh? In my opinion, life to that degree asks us the same questions. Who are you? Where you been? Where are you going ? When you get there what are you going to do? What is your purpose?
As a brief summary it has been said that the core abilities needed to succeed come down to these:

• accountability- you have got to answer to someone ( that someone maybe you)-boomerang.
• coach ability- you have to follow someone who has been where you want go.
• responsibility- you need to respond to given situations effectively.
• compatibility- people need to feel that they can like and trust you.
• stick ability- when things do not go right you have got to have the drive to stick with it.

Back to ""Checkpoint Charlie".". If you are not constantly asking these questions someone else will ask them and answer them for you. Just like our buddies at the iron curtain they will run your life.

So, keep asking yourself these questions. I am sure if you are on the right track you have been asking and answering these questions for a long time. If that's the case, then spread the wealth. Help someone next to you understand what you already know. I am no authority on the bible but the bible says, "Christ was brought to this earth so we can all live more abundantly". Well, let us all live more abundantly".

We must constantly ask........yes, and keep asking.----Day 588 is coming soon!

I freaking nailed it today! Burned 480 calories in the 1st half hour and 483 in the next 1/2 hour- WHOOSH- Burned 963 calories in 60 minutes that is 16 calories per minute for a hour. Can I get an AMEN? CIGA? The best part is that I felt great during the ride and after the ride. I found the flow - CIGA? I charged ahead with 26 minutes of plank and then 700+ crunches a good solid stretch session then out the door.

Day 587- If things ain't going right you probably ain't doin them right!

What an accurate statement. Life is that simple. There are things that need to done. However, if you are not doing them correctly things will not turn out the way you want.

It is was what the late great Earl Nightingale said, the "unfailing boomerang". Here are his words:

There is an unfailing boomerang that will always come full circle back to you. Honesty and unfailing integrity is
good business. Honesty is the best means of getting rich. Put in motion the right cause and the right effect will
take care of itself. Our only hope in winning the hearts of those we serve is in helping them in some way. Never
give less than your best or you’ll work against yourself.
The greatest ignorance of all is the mistaken belief that we can ever receive more than we earned.

So true, so true!

Day 587 awaits - let's see I have day 87,187,287,387,487 my calories burned on these days were: Day 87 -815; Day 187-my b-day 915; Day 287-924-Day 387-913; Day 487-903- On these 87 days I averaged over around 850 . To geek it up my average was 889 calories burned per 60 minute workout.

Let us see if I can raise that average.

I raised my average make it 815,915,924,913,903 and 939=5384/ 6= 897

Chalk up 939 for day 587- oh yeah! An awesome ride with a decent kick.Did 311 after 20 minutes which is 11 over 15 a minute pace , 473 after 30 minutes which is 23 over 15 per minute pace, 630 after 40 minutes which is 30 over 15 per minute pace 939 after 60 minutes which is 39 over 15 per minute pace. That is a nice strong consistent ride. Here is a phrase I always found to be strong-

WE HIT THEM HARD! WE KNOCK THEM OUT! AND WE CHALK THEM UP!

Moral of the story is you would probably do not want to be THEM.

CONFUCIUS SAY: Person who thinks as one who is hammer, thinks everyone else as nail.

Remember lead the field and when you point fingers there are three pointing right back at you.

If you want to help the health care problem, get healthy and work out!