Week 2 Pictures

So here are my pictures from the end of week 2. I have not had the progress that I expected (can't tell any real difference). But I know that I have not really given it my all so far. Being sick last week really got me out of my rhythm, and I'm really going to have to focus from here out to get results. That's what it's about, right? Getting back on the horse.

Making Up for Lost Time

I haven't posted in a few days...mostly due to the fact that I haven't been able to stand or carry on coherent conversation. My free day kind of turned into a free weekend. I ate poorly on Sunday as well as Saturday and then missed my Sunday workout. By Sunday night I was feeling sick, and have been down for the count until this morning. I've discovered that you can't do much of a workout with a 102.3F fever...which I had all week long. After finally getting the antibiotics to work, I am able to think clearly again and get back to work.
I missed 4 days of workouts with the flu, but luckily, I couldn't eat much either, so maybe it evened out. I'm not quite 100% today, but I think that I will be in shape to complete my 20 minutes of cardio this afternoon. I intend to post some progress pics tonight even though I've had a less than productive week, so check back and let me know what you think.

Self Discipline

"If only I had the willpower to lose weight." How many times have you made that comment to yourself. I know that there have been times when I wondered why in the world I simply couldn't force myself to follow up on my goals; to make myself execute my life plans ruthlessly. If you've felt the same way, you're not alone. In Romans 7:15-20, Paul says

"I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it."

(New Living Translation)


Apparently we're not the first generation to struggle with this, and it's not limited to our fitness struggles either. In recent times, I have been much more successful in sticking with my Body for Life plan than being diligent in my work responsibilities or studying God's word on a daily basis.
In a recent sermon series on spiritual disciplines, we have been studying how "trying" is much less important than "training." I can try as hard as I like to be a concert pianist, but if I don't train I will fail. This is a principle that we can apply to every area of our lives. In fact, the reason that I am so enthusiastic about Body for Life, is that it lays out a pattern that will develop into a lifestyle if we let it. It's not easy. When I started, I hated having to plan my meals and exercises. I hated having to schedule time to get it done. The more I trained, the easier it became.
My goal now is to expand this self-discipline to other aspects of my life. I want to train myself to spend time in Bible study, and to be more productive at work. I'll let you know how it goes.

Pre-Challenge pictures

These pics are actually before my first bfl challenge...I didn't do new before pics because they are remarkably simililar to where I am now. When I stopped two-thirds of the way through the first challenge, I gained back all of the weight I had lost. I did retain most of the muscle I had built, and you'll probably notice the difference in the photos I post for the end of week 1.

Day 2

The first Monday of my challenge was uneventful. I usually try to get my work out in before work. This is because of the theory that early morning exercise before breakfast is the best way to burn body fat, as no carbs have yet been introduced into the system for energy. I also like to work out early because it helps me get my day started with a checkmark, makes me feel better, and just makes sure that I don't have to fight afternoon laziness to get it done. Unfortunately, I lost the battle with the bed this morning, and had to wait until evening. I ate well, but did feel rather lathargic for most of the day. I've been sick, and haven't been sleeping well due to cold and cough, so that may be the problem. I did come home and ride my bike to my gym, and fit in a good upper body workout.
I have a BFL notepad that I plan my meals and workouts on to save time at the gym, and I think this really helps me to stay focused on the plan. If you have no plan, it's easy to skip out early. I closed this one out, rode home, and called it a day.

Day 1 - Race Day

So the 4:30am alarm clock tone was the signal that day one had arrived, and I was on my way to set the benchmark for this challenge. On this particular Sunday, I ran and biked in my first ever Duathlon. During the first run, I tried to start out at a comfortable level that I could maintain for the entire run. About a mile and a half into the run, I thanked God for the untied shoelace that he gave me and stopped on the side of the road to tie it and gasp for oxygen. As I started back, I began to drop in the ranks. My pace slowed as I was passed by a thirteen year old girl in pigtails. Next was a soccer mom. Next was a guy who was much fatter than I and about ten years older. I pushed myself on and gasped just to make it into the transition area.
I got on the bike and began working the kinks out. It felt different and refreshing. My ankles and calves that had been begging for relief finally got it and gave me a chance to show off these monster quads I've been working on. I knew my cycling segment would be much better, as that's where most of my training time was spent, but I didn't realize how strong I had gotten in this respect. I began to pass the people that had blown me away on the run. "Take that, Aunt Bee!" I made up substantial ground before I had to dismount from the bike and embark on the second run. I had a few more pass me in this stage, but the second run was shorter and not quite as severe.
When it was all said and done, I finished a respectable 67th with a time of 1:33:22. This was quite a way off from the winning time of 54:29, but it just goes to show that I have tremendous opportunity to improve. It felt great to finish and have my wife, Alisha, there to support me.
For the remainder of the day I stuck to the diet and counted the day a success.

BFL C2 Kick-off

You may have wondered why I chose 10/26/08 to start my plan. The reason is that not only will this day be the kick-off of my bfl plan, but I will also be racing in the Heel & Crank Duathlon in Huntsville, AL. It is a relatively short-distance race, which consists of a 3 mile run, 10 mile bike, and another 3 mile run.

My expectations? To finish dead last.

I've not been trainging like I should to compete well, and while I've done 3 mile runs and 10 mile rides before, I've never put several of them together. If I don't post after day one...it's because I had a heart attack and died.

The reason that I'm running this race is two-fold. First, I want to establish a base line of where my fitness is now. I plan on finding another event to race in after the end of my challenge that will motivate me to train and improve from what is sure to be a dismal performance on day 1 of my challenge.

The second reason is that this race is a great metaphor for the challenge. About half-way through, I will probably want to quit. I will probably wonder why in the world I started something for which I was so ill-prepared. But isn't that how all of our life's journeys are? Whether we're pursuing a goal of being a better spouse, having a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, or getting into prime physical condition, it's always a long-term battle. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten fired up about fitness and worked out hard for a week and a half. The I fizzle. It's not ability that I lack, it's endurance and dedication. The major point of this race, is that I can force myself to complete it. I can prove to myself that my mind can exercise control over my body. I can make myself finish the race. I can make myself finish this body for life challenge, and look forward to every minute of it.

My next post will be with the race results...talk to you Sunday at the end of day 1!