Well, I think I've finally had enough. I'm tired of being overweight. I'm tired of lazy people noticing my added weight. I'm tired of being a lousy half marathoner. It's time to do something. Today I went to the gym. I ran. So this blog is the first to chronicle my journey to stop being lousy.
Weight: 186
Gym: 3 sets of flat bench free weights: 40 pounds
3 sets of curls (50)
3 sets of incline free weights: 30 pounds
3 sets of hammer curls 25 pounds
4 miles on the Slaughter course. Calves/achilles were tight. first 2 miles were lousy. last 2 much better. Let's see what tomorrow looks like.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Friday, December 30, 2011
2012.
--Run 1000 miles this year. Also to cycle 1000 miles.
--For 5k, I want to break 24 minutes. no
--I want to learn to hem pants.
--Pursue further the ability to converse in Spanish. No more classes. Its time to use what I've learned.
Well, '12 is upon us. We'll start by looking at my '11 post and see how I did on my goals:
--PR the following distances this year--5k, 10k, half marathon and full marathon.
**5k-nope
**10k-yes
**half-no
**full-yes
--Run 1000 miles this year. Also to cycle 1000 miles.
**run-yes (1065)
**cycle-no, and not even close
--For 5k, I want to break 24 minutes. no
--For 10k, under 50 minutes. no, but did PR
--For half marathon, under 2 hours. regressed
--For full, just to beat my first race time. by 10 minutes
--I want to get down to 160 pounds. Doing this will make the above much easier.
**gained weight. guh
--For half marathon, under 2 hours. regressed
--For full, just to beat my first race time. by 10 minutes
--I want to get down to 160 pounds. Doing this will make the above much easier.
**gained weight. guh
--I want to learn to hem pants.
**nope
--Pursue further the ability to converse in Spanish. No more classes. Its time to use what I've learned.
**afraid not.
I really stunk on my goals for this year. And it was a tough year all around for me. Closing both stores. No real growth personally. So, let's set some goals for 2012. And I'm going to try to be more specific. First, running goals:
*Run 1500 miles
*cycle 500 miles
*5k--under 25 minutes
*10k--under 53 minutes
*half--under 2 hours
*full--under 5 hours
*I also want to lose weight. 165 pounds seems like a good target.
2012 will also bring about a career change. At this point, I have no ideas. As of writing this, I haven't formally announced closing either store. God led me to the retail path 16 years ago. I've profited from it. I have to believe God will lead me where I need to go next.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Today, I made a major decision. I decided to close both of my stores. This has been hard for me. I hate giving up. And being a business owner is all I know how to be. I guess I felt like it was my legacy to keep Charlie's going. As if ending it would make me a failure. Pure logic and numbers said I should've quit several years ago. I hope I didn't set myself back financially thanks to my stubbornness. We still have to sell out everything, but my life as a self employed guy seem to be over. Millions have to make such transitions in their life everyday. I'm not special in this regard and I just have to approach it with peace and a clear heart. I've had such stress levels this year that it should be obvious this is the right choice. I literally had headaches due entirely to stress. I've been a fool I guess. Anyway, we finish out this Christmas (#16 for me) and do the whole sellout thing. That last day will be very bittersweet.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
2011 Reading list
Here we go again. Going to try to beat my total of 35 in 2010.
Protect and Defend--Vince Flynn (1/5)
Mitch Rapp novel. Found some Flynn novels that I missed. Kennedy is kidnapped by Hezbollah. Rapp saves the day. Nice read. Ending wound up a little too easily.
Term Limits--Vince Flynn (1/25)
O'Rourke novel. Was a good read and an interesting premise.
Sophie's World--Jostein Gaarder (2/?)
Not something I would normally choose. Dad recommended it as an interesting read. At times, it was interesting. At other times, it was tedious. Basically, its an intro to philosophy. Took a while to finish, but it was a nice challenge.
Jane Eyre--Charlotte Bronte (3/3)
Next on my list of classic novels. Was a decent read. Much better story than the last "classic" I read.
Wuthering Heights--Emily Bronte (3/14)
Another off my list of classics. A better read than Jane Eyre, but didn't capture me like some others have (LOTR for instance). Hey, one more down.
Backlash--Aaron Allston (3/18)
Book 4 in the Legacy of the Jedi series. I liked it. Flowed well.
Allies--Christie Golden (3/ )
Middlemarch--Elliot (6/9)
Another of the classics. Tough read. Someone will have to explain to me its standing.
The Black Echo--Michael Connelly (6/13)
Mystery novel. Decent read. I'll give Connelly a try for a while.
The Reversal--Connelly (12/17)
Nice story with Haller and Bosch together. Sometimes got confusing jumping from perspective to perspective. Sometimes took a page to figure out who was narrating at the time.
Protect and Defend--Vince Flynn (1/5)
Mitch Rapp novel. Found some Flynn novels that I missed. Kennedy is kidnapped by Hezbollah. Rapp saves the day. Nice read. Ending wound up a little too easily.
Term Limits--Vince Flynn (1/25)
O'Rourke novel. Was a good read and an interesting premise.
Sophie's World--Jostein Gaarder (2/?)
Not something I would normally choose. Dad recommended it as an interesting read. At times, it was interesting. At other times, it was tedious. Basically, its an intro to philosophy. Took a while to finish, but it was a nice challenge.
Jane Eyre--Charlotte Bronte (3/3)
Next on my list of classic novels. Was a decent read. Much better story than the last "classic" I read.
Wuthering Heights--Emily Bronte (3/14)
Another off my list of classics. A better read than Jane Eyre, but didn't capture me like some others have (LOTR for instance). Hey, one more down.
Backlash--Aaron Allston (3/18)
Book 4 in the Legacy of the Jedi series. I liked it. Flowed well.
Allies--Christie Golden (3/ )
Middlemarch--Elliot (6/9)
Another of the classics. Tough read. Someone will have to explain to me its standing.
The Black Echo--Michael Connelly (6/13)
Mystery novel. Decent read. I'll give Connelly a try for a while.
Hell's Corner--Baldacci (6/15)
Another good read. Next in line in the Camel Club saga.
Blood Work--Connelly (6/19)
Nice read. Not sure if the story tied up as neatly as it seemed. Made some jumps in logic that didn't seem to fit at times.
Heir To The Empire--Zahn (7/3)
Rereading this series. They really should be made into movies.
Dark Force Rising--Zahn (7/6)
book 2
The Last Command--Zahn (7/7 )
book 3
Heir To The Empire--Zahn (7/3)
Rereading this series. They really should be made into movies.
Dark Force Rising--Zahn (7/6)
book 2
The Last Command--Zahn (7/7 )
book 3
Alexander Hamilton--Ron Chernow (8/10)
A very enlightening read about one of our Founding Fathers. Hamilton is really one of the less well known of the most important FF.
Tim Tebow--TT (8/20)
A biography of Tebow. An impressive young man, but not sure his life is worthy of a biography just yet.
The Last Patriot--Brad Thor (8/26 )
Nice read. Thor is a good story teller.
Portrait of A Spy--Thor (9/12)
A nice read. Thor always delivers
Heaven Is For Real--Burpo (9/14)
An interesting read. Comforting, but I'm still leary that this story is a fraud.
Principle of the Path--Andy Stanley (9/15)
Book we're using for my life group.
The Confession--Grisham (9/16)
ANother good Grisham tale.
The Enchantress of Florence--Salman Rushdie (9/22)
Thought I would get out of my norm. Was a different story for sure. I'll read more of his.
Private--James Patterson (9/25 )
A surprisingly good Patterson novel. Last few haven't been that great.
The Lincoln Lawyer--Connelly (9/27)
Nice read. I enjoy Connelly.
Trunk Music--Connelly (9/30)
Also a good read.
The Kill Artist--Daniel Silva (10/7)
Another good Gabriel Allon novel.
Lost Light--Michael Connelly (10/12)
Was ok. Ending kinda didn't tie together. Maybe I missed something.
The Closers--Michael Connelly (10/21)
Nice read. Ending wasn't great.
State of the Union--Brad Thor (10/27)
Fair read. several things in the story wrapped up a little too neatly.
Blowback--Brad Thor (11/8)
Nice read. Thor has a way of wrapping up big details in his stories a little too quickly sometimes.
Echo Park--Connelly (11/17)
Good story. Didn't see the bad guy at all.
The Last Lecture-- (11/20)
A nice read.
The Sixth Man--Baldacci (11/28)
Typical good Baldacci. Didn't see the end swerve coming.
Angel Flight--Connelly (12/1)
A very enlightening read about one of our Founding Fathers. Hamilton is really one of the less well known of the most important FF.
Tim Tebow--TT (8/20)
A biography of Tebow. An impressive young man, but not sure his life is worthy of a biography just yet.
The Last Patriot--Brad Thor (8/26 )
Nice read. Thor is a good story teller.
Portrait of A Spy--Thor (9/12)
A nice read. Thor always delivers
Heaven Is For Real--Burpo (9/14)
An interesting read. Comforting, but I'm still leary that this story is a fraud.
Principle of the Path--Andy Stanley (9/15)
Book we're using for my life group.
The Confession--Grisham (9/16)
ANother good Grisham tale.
The Enchantress of Florence--Salman Rushdie (9/22)
Thought I would get out of my norm. Was a different story for sure. I'll read more of his.
Private--James Patterson (9/25 )
A surprisingly good Patterson novel. Last few haven't been that great.
The Lincoln Lawyer--Connelly (9/27)
Nice read. I enjoy Connelly.
Trunk Music--Connelly (9/30)
Also a good read.
The Kill Artist--Daniel Silva (10/7)
Another good Gabriel Allon novel.
Lost Light--Michael Connelly (10/12)
Was ok. Ending kinda didn't tie together. Maybe I missed something.
The Closers--Michael Connelly (10/21)
Nice read. Ending wasn't great.
State of the Union--Brad Thor (10/27)
Fair read. several things in the story wrapped up a little too neatly.
Blowback--Brad Thor (11/8)
Nice read. Thor has a way of wrapping up big details in his stories a little too quickly sometimes.
Echo Park--Connelly (11/17)
Good story. Didn't see the bad guy at all.
The Last Lecture-- (11/20)
A nice read.
The Sixth Man--Baldacci (11/28)
Typical good Baldacci. Didn't see the end swerve coming.
Angel Flight--Connelly (12/1)
Nice read.
Water For Elephants--Sara Gruen (12/3)
Not quite the story I expected. A good read. Recommended read.
Choices of One--Timothy Zahn (12/13)
Star Wars novel. Nice read. Pre Empire storyline.
The Reversal--Connelly (12/17)
Nice story with Haller and Bosch together. Sometimes got confusing jumping from perspective to perspective. Sometimes took a page to figure out who was narrating at the time.
2011
My first 2011 post, which I will use to put down my goals for this year. I will most certainly need something like this to keep my focused. The first round of goals will be running related:
--PR the following distances this year--5k, 10k, half marathon and full marathon.
--Run 1000 miles this year. Also to cycle 1000 miles.
--For 5k, I want to break 24 minutes.
--For 10k, under 50 minutes.
--For half marathon, under 2 hours.
--For full, just to beat my first race time.
--I want to get down to 160 pounds. Doing this will make the above much easier.
--I want to learn to hem pants.
--Pursue further the ability to converse in Spanish. No more classes. Its time to use what I've learned.
There are certainly more to add, but those will come later.
--PR the following distances this year--5k, 10k, half marathon and full marathon.
--Run 1000 miles this year. Also to cycle 1000 miles.
--For 5k, I want to break 24 minutes.
--For 10k, under 50 minutes.
--For half marathon, under 2 hours.
--For full, just to beat my first race time.
--I want to get down to 160 pounds. Doing this will make the above much easier.
--I want to learn to hem pants.
--Pursue further the ability to converse in Spanish. No more classes. Its time to use what I've learned.
There are certainly more to add, but those will come later.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
2010 Book List
Here we go again, same song, third verse.
Cobra Trilogy--Timothy Zahn (1/15)
Zahn is my favorite sci fi author. He rarely disappoints. I've read all 3 of these before, but its been a few years. Got all 3 bundled in one book for Christmas, so I re-read them. Didn't end like I remembered, but all 3 were good. Recommended.
Have A Little Faith--Mitch Albom (1/21)
A nice little book by Albom. All of his that I've read have been short, but always well written. I recommend this one and the other 3 in his recent collection.
The Associate--John Grisham (1/25)
Was a nice read. Not the best Grisham by any stretch. His fans will like it.
The Domino Pattern--Timothy Zahn (1/28)
Next in the Frank Compton series. An interesting read. I had some difficulty keeping up at times but the story flowed well. More sequels are definitely in line for sure. Sci fi fan? Read Zahn.
The Appeal--John Grisham (1/30)
A standard Grisham. Nice read. If you like his works, this one will be for you.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows--J.K. Rowling (2/5 )
Just rereading this one. A good end to the series.
The Venetian Betrayal--Steve Berry (2/11)
Typical Berry novel. Nothing special. Story moved decently enough.
True Blue--David Baldacci (2/28)
Normally I love Baldacci. The story was ok. Not as good as the Camel Club series. I would put this in the lower few of his works. Not a bad read, just not as good as some others he's done.
The Quickie--James Patterson (3/9)
Not a terrible story, but not overly impressive either. It moved well but wasn't an overly surprising ending either.
My Life On The Run--Bart Yasso (3/16)
Very nice read about the running "life" of Yasso. Dude has done some crazy races in his life.
Witch & Wizard--James Patterson (4/22)
Decent novellete. Hard to call this a book. Pretty short. Patterson seems to be getting lazy as of late.
Benjamin Franklin--Walter Isaacson (5/14)
Franklin was a very interesting fella. Our nation owes him a debt of gratitude. I found it interesting to read about him from another angle. He was mentioned often in John Adam's biography that I read. Adams did not think much of Franklin. Good read.
Pleading Guilty--Scott Turow (5/20)
A nice read by Turow. He's done a very nice job of creating a huge storybase around Kindle County.
Limitations--Scott Turow (6/)
A shorter book but I enjoyed reading it.
Innocent--Scott Turow (7/17)
A good story. Thought I figured it out but was totally wrong. Good author.
The Angel's Game--Carlos Ruiz Zafon (8/6)
Decided to try a new author. Just picked a book at Hastings. Odd story. Not sure I understand it all, but wasn't a bad read. My next book is another random pick. May try to read more of Zafon's in the future.
Consent to Kill--Vince Flynn (8/25)
Was a good read. Mitch Rapp series. Enjoyed it and will read more of Flynn's work.
Deliver Us From Evil--David Baldacci (9/1)
Looks like a new series for Baldacci. This is great news! Nice read.
Extreme Measures--Vince Flynn (9/7 )
I enjoyed this story. Flynn has created an interesting character in Mitch Rapp.
Pursuit of Honor--Vince Flynn (9/17)
Continuation of one of the above Flynn stories. Was an easy read, but it wrapped up a little too easily/quickly.
The Unlikely Spy--Daniel Silva (10/25)
My first Silva. Good, interesting read. Gov't/spy novel. Set during WW2 in Britain.
The Secret Servant--Daniel Silva (10/29)
Gabriel Allon novel. Set mostly in Europe. Good read.
The English Assassin--Daniel Silva (11/19)
Another Allon novel. Good read. Well paced.
Moscow Rules--Silva (11/24)
Another Allon novel. Wasn't bad. I like that Allon isn't indestructible like Mitch Rapp.
The Defector--Silva (11/29)
Nice Allon novel. Had some good twists and turns. Not sure how much more mileage he can get out of this character.
Don't Blink--James Patterson (12/)
It seems as though Patterson tries to see how many books he can put his name on. I'm quickly losing interest in him.
Pride and Prejudice--Jane Austen (12/14)
One of the classics. Not entirely sure why. A decent read, but I only finished because I hate to start a book and quit on it.
The Marching Season--Daniel Silva (12/20)
Nice story. Michael Osborne series. Silva continues to deliver with easy to read stories.
American Assasin--Vince Flynn (12/28)
This is the backstory of how Mitch Rapp became to be. Good read. Enjoyed it.
Outcast--Aaron Allston (12/29)
The first of a new series in the Star Wars universe. This one takes place 40 years after A New Hope. Luke is forced out as Grand Master of the Jedi. Some other story lines. Read it for yourself for more info. Good, easy read. Looking forward to this series.
Omen--Christie Golden (12/30)
Book 2 in the Fate of the Jedi series. Another easy read. Enjoying this so far. Will finish book 3 quickly too. If you like SW, read this series.
Abyss--Troy Denning (12/31)
Another good read in this series. Looks like I have to wait a bit before the next one is available for me.
Cobra Trilogy--Timothy Zahn (1/15)
Zahn is my favorite sci fi author. He rarely disappoints. I've read all 3 of these before, but its been a few years. Got all 3 bundled in one book for Christmas, so I re-read them. Didn't end like I remembered, but all 3 were good. Recommended.
Have A Little Faith--Mitch Albom (1/21)
A nice little book by Albom. All of his that I've read have been short, but always well written. I recommend this one and the other 3 in his recent collection.
The Associate--John Grisham (1/25)
Was a nice read. Not the best Grisham by any stretch. His fans will like it.
The Domino Pattern--Timothy Zahn (1/28)
Next in the Frank Compton series. An interesting read. I had some difficulty keeping up at times but the story flowed well. More sequels are definitely in line for sure. Sci fi fan? Read Zahn.
The Appeal--John Grisham (1/30)
A standard Grisham. Nice read. If you like his works, this one will be for you.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows--J.K. Rowling (2/5 )
Just rereading this one. A good end to the series.
The Venetian Betrayal--Steve Berry (2/11)
Typical Berry novel. Nothing special. Story moved decently enough.
True Blue--David Baldacci (2/28)
Normally I love Baldacci. The story was ok. Not as good as the Camel Club series. I would put this in the lower few of his works. Not a bad read, just not as good as some others he's done.
The Quickie--James Patterson (3/9)
Not a terrible story, but not overly impressive either. It moved well but wasn't an overly surprising ending either.
My Life On The Run--Bart Yasso (3/16)
Very nice read about the running "life" of Yasso. Dude has done some crazy races in his life.
Witch & Wizard--James Patterson (4/22)
Decent novellete. Hard to call this a book. Pretty short. Patterson seems to be getting lazy as of late.
Benjamin Franklin--Walter Isaacson (5/14)
Franklin was a very interesting fella. Our nation owes him a debt of gratitude. I found it interesting to read about him from another angle. He was mentioned often in John Adam's biography that I read. Adams did not think much of Franklin. Good read.
Pleading Guilty--Scott Turow (5/20)
A nice read by Turow. He's done a very nice job of creating a huge storybase around Kindle County.
Limitations--Scott Turow (6/)
A shorter book but I enjoyed reading it.
Innocent--Scott Turow (7/17)
A good story. Thought I figured it out but was totally wrong. Good author.
The Angel's Game--Carlos Ruiz Zafon (8/6)
Decided to try a new author. Just picked a book at Hastings. Odd story. Not sure I understand it all, but wasn't a bad read. My next book is another random pick. May try to read more of Zafon's in the future.
Consent to Kill--Vince Flynn (8/25)
Was a good read. Mitch Rapp series. Enjoyed it and will read more of Flynn's work.
Deliver Us From Evil--David Baldacci (9/1)
Looks like a new series for Baldacci. This is great news! Nice read.
Extreme Measures--Vince Flynn (9/7 )
I enjoyed this story. Flynn has created an interesting character in Mitch Rapp.
Pursuit of Honor--Vince Flynn (9/17)
Continuation of one of the above Flynn stories. Was an easy read, but it wrapped up a little too easily/quickly.
The Unlikely Spy--Daniel Silva (10/25)
My first Silva. Good, interesting read. Gov't/spy novel. Set during WW2 in Britain.
The Secret Servant--Daniel Silva (10/29)
Gabriel Allon novel. Set mostly in Europe. Good read.
The English Assassin--Daniel Silva (11/19)
Another Allon novel. Good read. Well paced.
Moscow Rules--Silva (11/24)
Another Allon novel. Wasn't bad. I like that Allon isn't indestructible like Mitch Rapp.
The Defector--Silva (11/29)
Nice Allon novel. Had some good twists and turns. Not sure how much more mileage he can get out of this character.
Don't Blink--James Patterson (12/)
It seems as though Patterson tries to see how many books he can put his name on. I'm quickly losing interest in him.
Pride and Prejudice--Jane Austen (12/14)
One of the classics. Not entirely sure why. A decent read, but I only finished because I hate to start a book and quit on it.
The Marching Season--Daniel Silva (12/20)
Nice story. Michael Osborne series. Silva continues to deliver with easy to read stories.
American Assasin--Vince Flynn (12/28)
This is the backstory of how Mitch Rapp became to be. Good read. Enjoyed it.
Outcast--Aaron Allston (12/29)
The first of a new series in the Star Wars universe. This one takes place 40 years after A New Hope. Luke is forced out as Grand Master of the Jedi. Some other story lines. Read it for yourself for more info. Good, easy read. Looking forward to this series.
Omen--Christie Golden (12/30)
Book 2 in the Fate of the Jedi series. Another easy read. Enjoying this so far. Will finish book 3 quickly too. If you like SW, read this series.
Abyss--Troy Denning (12/31)
Another good read in this series. Looks like I have to wait a bit before the next one is available for me.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
.......
Whew, today was a long one. Play practice wears me out for sure. And with all of the hours I've been working, City Council stuff and the crappy situation we've been dealing with the last week, its hard to be joyous and happy. Especially when it seems no one is overly concerned. I've had to be the strong one and sometimes I'd just like to not be the strong one.
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