Patience Grasshopper

Geez.  This week has been something else.  I did not do my food journal at all.  Some days, I nailed my water down, others, not so much.  I could write out a list of everything that slowed me down and had me thinking the old ways were coming back, but that wouldn't help.  My little boy did get 2 concussions in less than 48 hours though.  That was scary.  A couple of hard falls on the forehead and the back of his head where it meets up with the neck. But we're all go now.  Poor kid.

My little girl is starting to crawl all over!  She is wicked fast too.  It's cute because she is so petite.  Quick hands on that little bugger too.

All of this stuff this week, going on, really, really, really made it hard to make time for workouts, eating, working, everyday life.  I feel like we should be in a well oiled routine.  But I forget, it's only been a few weeks.  We'll get there.  We just have to keep communication open.

Along with the doubts of my scheduling, cooking, prepping, etc... I've been physically sore.  Coach has even told me, "Man, I can not even begin to imagine how it's going to feel, starting your journey at 460 lbs!!!"  He knows that maybe I cannot do everything (right now) that he is assigning for homework. I've done damn good at modifying the push ups and crunches. I pump out the squats in 3 set of 10.  But sometimes, I don't get to them until 11 in the morning, then I start to consider dumping them at night.  It is frustrating me.  Katie has been on my rear-end though, noticing if I am slumping off.  Whip-cracker, that gal is. But, it's needed on some nights, I'm not going to lie about it.

So, all in all tho, with everything going on, this week is wrapping up.  The homework is to work out 3x a week.  I've been working out every-other-day. So that means that some weeks I get in 4 workouts.  I'm happy about that.  I did take one day off from the strength conditioning due to a massive chafing.  We went and bought some compression shorts and I was working out the next day.  That burned!!!!  But, I'm healed up.

Tonight while trying to do a modified version of the crunches, I was laying on the floor, on my back.  I had Katie stand on my hands, above my head.  I was then going to crank out some straight leg lifts.  Did pretty good for the first 6 or 7.  Then my back started playing around on me.  Not sure what it is, but I was determined to get the rest of the crunches done.  So I hopped my butt onto our little safe and did some make-shift Cowboy Crunches to finish them off.

Katie and I talked about how I was feeling.  We talked about my approach to my daily routines of strength conditioning.  I told her that I don't feel like there is anything that Coach has assigned that I cannot do.  If I cannot do it, I modify it and push through it.  She saw it differently, telling me that if I'm giving 100%, then if I only get 28 our of 35 push ups, keep trying until my muscles fail, that is strength conditioning in itself.  I don't have to be hard on myself if I am not getting the numbers.  The only number that is more important than completion is the Cowboy Effort!  If I can say that I could have done better, then I have not done enough.  If I can look back and say I gave it my all, that is the Cowboy Way.

So, I am starting this motivation tracker this week.  I track my motivation in the following areas: Focus on Goals, Food, Water, HR, Positive Attitude. At the end of the day I add up my scores and give myself a grade, based on the results of the sum.  At the end of the week, same thing.  So if I see myself in the "OK" category, then I know I need to step it up!  So this will be interesting.

I did tell you that I would put some stuff in here about the conference call we had on Friday night.  It went great!  It was fun.  There were about 30 people on all listening to him and then we'd answer questions that he asked.  It was more of a thing where if we had questions about something we didn't think we were doing correctly, or if we'd never worked out before, or never used a HR watch/monitor before, then he was there for guidance.  We were all able to hear it right from his mouth, rather than watch a homework video.  He asked us all for feedback on his website.  How would we like to see it laid out, etc...?  There were a couple of things that I realized I took for granted.  Some of the questions that were asked, cleared some things up for me.  I've lifted weight regularly.  I believe that I know a good healthy, safe way to lift weights.  It can be dangerous.  I've been on the ball court, I've hiked around the mountains in Montana.  I've swam in lakes and rivers.  I rode lots of bikes and played baseball and football.  So, I know my balance.  Right off of the starting line of the journey, this is all stuff that I can incorporate into my workouts for my HR and rebuilding strength.

Before the conference call, I thought I'd be stuck doing just a strong HR cardio workout on the treadmill.  Turns out, as long as I'm moving doing squats, arm circles, jumping jacks, jumping in place, jump rope, swimming, shooting hoops, lifting weights or on an exercise bike, it does not matter what i'm doing, as long as I'm in my Cowboy Fit zone.  Granted, lifting weights is a great way to get your muscles built up and toned too.  Cardio is great for your heart! But, for blasting fat, the Cowboy Fit Zone is where you want to be.  Every minute I'm in there, it's better than sitting my butt on the couch.

I love my wife and my children.  I love my siblings.  I love my cousins. I love my aunts and uncles.  I love my friends.  Thank you all for the support.  Plus, I was needing some inspiration for tonight's blog.  When I logged in, turns out my other bro figured out how to leave a comment on here!  Maybe he is not such a hill-billy after all? :p

Focus.  We'll get there.  This is for us.  Not just for me.  Thank God my boy is ok.  Thank God for my beautiful wife.  Thank God for my little daughter's progressing health and beautiful smiles.  What a great week of trials and success.  I'm sure we'll need to remember this week as the other times come.  Attitude is a little thing that can make a BIG difference.