Slacking

Alright, I'll be the first to admit . I've been slacking off. Hardcore. I've been slacking on the blog postings , I still have two movies to post and a couple of other updates. I'm going to try to get up to speed by Friday. Sorry for the delay.

I've also been slacking off on my training. That is a different story altogether. I essentially took almost a week off. I spent the weekend not training and eating a bunch of crap (flour, grains, lentils, a candy bar and lots of alcohol). I lost all motivation and became increasingly lethargic and not caring. I kind of went through a mini funk and decided I needed to get my head right.

I've decided that a failure of that magnitude isn't tolerable. I will not fail and seeing how I felt during this time I decided that I gotta pick up the training and work harder. I can't ease up or I won't be prepared. To fail once is to fail a million times.

So from here out it's do or die.

Goals and Motivation

I hit a wall this past week. I have been in a real rut over the past week and a half or so. I've felt like I've been spinning wheels and not really improving or making that many gains. I've put on 5 lbs over the past week ( this really killed my motivation). I haven't been running as much because of the heat (a lame excuse) and all my lifting and training I dread and think of as a chore. I've began to take two rest days in a row ( I'm not thinking that this is such a bad idea however). I feel as if I've been slacking off and not really as focused as I need to be. I also feel guilty for not training as hard as I know I should. I feel like I'm holding back. I dread my work outs and feel lazy and unmotivated.

Goal Seeking

So I know what my goal is, not just finish the Tough Mudder but to kick it in the balls. While this is my ultimate goal I don't know how I'm going to get there. This is where I've been thinking about what I need to achieve my goal. I need stamina, willpower and strength. How will I achieve excellence in each one of these three ? I realized that while I have my eyes on the prize I need to deconstruct each aspect into accomplish-able mini goals. Not only will I need to set them into mini goals , I'll need to have a date and hold myself accountable for those goals.

"A goal properly set is halfway reached." - Abraham Lincoln

Goal Setting

Now that I know my main goal and I am starting to think about what I need to accomplish that goal I've decided to break up my goals into accountable and measurable units. I'm going to make up a new excel sheet to track my progress and monitor my performance and set performance goals. I'm going to have dates in which I need to accomplish these goal by and hold myself accountable. If I fail to meet a goal I'll be upset but won't let it hinder my over all training.  I think this will be an ample motivator in my training as well as help me realize that by attaining these little goal I will be able to dominate the larger goal.

Goals and Training regiment

I've been sticking to the same regiment for almost a full month now. I have to admit while I have gotten stronger, I hate parts of it. Man makers are by god the longest and most boring exercise there is. Doing 30 in a row is a huge pain and feels like forever. So I'm going to start breaking it up into smaller sets and perhaps for time? I need to come up with a new training regiment where I won't get as bored as easily and I actually look forward to my training activities. I'm going to review the course and figure out a new regiment / strategy to help me overcome the course. I'll post up my results this weekend when I've gotten my new routine honed in. I'll probably keep the endurance runs since I really enjoy those.

Oh yeah, I also did my first one-armed pull up this week. So all in all it really isn't that bad.     

The will of the one...

So this weekend I received some disappointing news. My friend who had promised me he would be training to enter the Tough Mudder with me has backed out (he'll be moving back to Denver). While I originally planned on doing this race solo I had tried to recruit two friends to join me. One of them agreed but he is laid up with a broken neck and now the other is backing out to move back across the country.

This means I'm back to training solo. I will admit I was hoping to have a partner to train with but there are some things a man must do alone. Training for this will be amongst them. I run and work out by myself any way so nothing will change in this aspect. It just means I'll have to work harder to make sure I can beat the obstacles on my own. So for now I only have to rely on my will to get me across the finish line.

The Karate Kid

So this week's film was The Karate Kid, the original film in all it's glory. It had been a long time since I had seen this master piece and since I will probably take my nephew to see the remake I wanted to re familiarize myself with the classic.  I must say while I didn't remember all the aspects of the film the first time through, I will admit this movie is awesome.

I liked this image capture way better than the original movie poster, let's face it the original poster looks like an old Japanese guy is about to make out with Ralph Maccio. Plus , let's admit it every single one of us has done "Crane Technique" unsuccessfully in our lives.  Not to mention this is probably the best scene in the movie for a multitude of reasons.

While most of us are pretty familiar with the plot of The Karate Kid, I'll give a brief recap. Daniel Larusso is a whiny southern California transplant by way of New Jersey.  Here he immediately stars to hit on Elizabeth Shue. Turns out she's the ex girlfriend of the school's biggest bad ass, Johnny, and Daniel is in over his head. He spends the next twenty minutes or so of the movie getting his ass kicked by this guy and his friends while occasionally getting small amounts of revenge. Daniel vows he will learn "karate" so he can fight back against this bully. He meets this crazy old maintenance guy named Mr. Miyagi. He and Miyagi become friends shortly and he tries to help Daniel with advice. Daniel checks out the local Karate school and it turns out Johnny is the head student and the sensei is a complete merciless dick.

He convinces Daniel to go to the schools Halloween dance, where Daniel tries to get back at Johnny at the dance.  The chase Daniel home and proceed to beat him up until they get whopped by Mr. Miyagi. It's after this that Miyagi and Daniel figure out that the only way they can stop this bullying is by confronting the sensei and his students. They agree to enter Daniel in a tournament and Miyagi takes him on as his student. The rest of the film he trains Daniel all about karate in most unconventional means.  He gets him to slave labor around his house which Daniel thinks is a waste of time. Little did he know he was falling for the oldest trick in the Karate handbook, the old "bullshit that doesn't seem like training but actually is training" routine. From here Miyagi teaches him about balance, in all things. He also teaches him the importance of focus and breathing.

What I got out of it:

I was actually inspired by parts of this film. I really liked Mr. Miyagi ( Pat Morita) and can see why he was nominated for an Oscar.  This film taught me about balance between my training and my personal life.  I think I have been over thinking / focusing too much on my training and diet that I'm freaking myself out. I haven't been as confident lately and making the gains I need to in order to be successful.

"Man who catch fly with chopsticks accomplish anything" - Mr. Miyagi

Next weeks film is: Karate Kid 3 ( I watched two this weekend as well but I don't feel like posting it).

Rocky Balboa

So every week I'm going to watch an "inspirational" film to help keep me motivated towards my goal and to keep pushing myself. I've scheduled one film a week until the week of competition. This week's film is Rocky Balboa.


"Rocky Balboa" is the last installment in the "Rocky" franchise. It takes place long after the end of Rocky 5. Rocky is now long retired and owns a restaurant where he regales diners with stories of his past. We see an aged Rocky, an aged Paulie and Rocky's son who is "tired of living in his dad's shadow".

The premise behind the movie is that the current heavy weight champion, Mason "The Line " Dixon can't find a boxer of his skill set. After a computer prediction of Rocky winning by a knockout his agents decide that they should try to make the fight a reality. They entice Rocky into an exhibition bout under the guise of proceeds going to charity.

Much to everyone's dismay and their adversity to Rocky's decision he decides to accept. Rocky claims he wants to keep fighting because "there's some stuff in the basement". We see that Rocky wants to prove to himself that he's still got what it takes to be a champion and prove to the world his worth.

Now we cue up the kick ass training music and gear up for a montage. Rocky's former trainer "Duke" lists all of the medical problems that Rocky is facing and determines the only way Rocky will win the fight is by beating the ever living shit by wailing on his opponent so hard "his ancestors will feel it".

Here we get to see Stallone do a fairly awesome work out routine. He does kettle bell swings, tire slams, keg slams, heavy bag work ,pull ups. All kinds of awesome feats of strength. We see him doing dead lifts and squats. I must admit Stallone gets into terrific shape for this film.

After the training montage the main bout begins. You'll have to see the movie to see what happens to our aging champion.

What I got out of it:

I love the rocky films and have always found them inspirational (well except Rocky 5 , that movie sucked balls). This movie was a good kick off to the whole inspirational track to think that with enough will power and determination you can do what you want and no one can stop you.

There's a scene where Rocky's son is expressing to his dad his feelings about being his son. In it Rocky gives the following speech.

"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"

What this has taught me about my own training is that I need to focus on pushing myself harder and further with every work out. The finish line for this endeavor isn't going to get any easier by training less. I gotta keep pushing forward. I won't quit until I make it across the finish line.

Oh and those keg slams look pretty bitchin' too.

Next week's film is The Karate Kid.