Tunes For the Week

Kaiser Chiefs- Yours Truly, Angry Mob
Kasabian- West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum

(If you don't have these two records, you've seriously missed the point. You don't get it. They are perhaps out of the thousands of records I have top 10.)

The Rifles- Great Escape
Mystery Jets- Twenty One
Yeah Yeah Yeah's- It's Blitz

Update...

I've obviously been away from quite some time, but for good reason. Had 4 audits @ work that were high value targets that had to be done ASAP, so I've been under the gun. However, as you'd expect, we came through with flying colors. Whenever I'm in such scenarios I'm reminded of a quote:

"Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. I wouldn’t give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That’s why Americans have never lost and will never lose a war. Because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans."

A dollar to whomever can tell me who said that.

Full marathon training begins next week, 3 3 mile runs, and 1 5 mile run.

Let's get this party started...

Votto, I'll Make Mention of This...

Joey Votto, perhaps the best player in the NL has been put on the DL for "Stress-Related Issues." Very few things are being mentioned but, one symptom that has been is dizziness. It's a story I know all too well if Joey is facing what I think he's facing.

Through-out most of the year, 2000 I suffered too with an anxiety disorder, it's not pretty. You suffer from your arms tingling, shortness of breath, dizziness, and in some instances blackouts. Thankfully I've gotten past it, but it's something that still to this day you need to manage.

What's important is that these things happen, even to those of us that are seemingly very tough. You feel week, you feel alone, you feel helpless. I only mention this because I would never want anyone I know to have to fight that alone, should you ever cross paths with this know that you are not alone.

Hammering Down

Got a full 5k in 35.52. Slow yes, but nothing short of unbelievable. Just two weeks ago I couldn't even make a mile and a half. I'm pretty sure that the plan now will include running a 5k within the next few weeks.

Theme Songs...

I'm going to keep a running list:

So far I have:

Kasabian: Shoot the Runner

Joey Blower: Hi Ho Ricky Hatton (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxeC4jBoTi4)

New Tunes This Week

The Von Bondies: Love, Hate, and Then There's You

Kaiser Chiefs: Off With Their Heads

Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

The Enemy UK: Music For The People

The Song Remains the Same...

In many ways. I did two days in a row at 2 mi (mon, tues) took wed off, and just finished a 2.5 mile run in 29 minutes. Shockingly slow, but when you consider that I still remain at around the same weight, one can't be all that surprised by the result. I just don't lose weight no matter what my training looks like. My hope is that as the miles continue to go up, and I eat about the same that I eat now the chain will catch and I'll start losing.

Fat, yes, without question. But I didn't engage this battle with the intention of losing.

In other news, I've been 'promoted' at work. Yes I still have to deal with the hassle that is ID Admin, but I've officially been made the titular head of the Application Security Assessments group. Of course this increase in responsibility came with a massive raise ;)

The song very much remains the same...

Really Hammer Down

Feeling pretty good about where I'm at, just made 2 miles without walking. The pace was obviously pretty slow, I was passed by one of the blue hair crowd on their moped. It's big though because I was able to A) do it after work, and B) because it puts me on schedule to pick up the marathon training when I'm supposed to.

One thing that I will mention is something I heard on one of the radio programs that I listen to. This host stated that he's never had an experience where if he didn't really want something he didn't get it. It's hard to disagree with. Sure there are outliers where you'll not get what you want, but if you really want something it's well and truly possible. You'll have to work, you'll have to sacrifice, you'll have to hammer down. It's a theme that I'll talk about often I'm guessing over the next few months. Eliminate the paper monsters that you construct in your mind by working hard towards a goal, and believing that you can do it. It's not an easy feat, but a change in perspective can help you to move mountains. Don't say you can't because you absolutely can.

Hammer Down

1.75 miles this morning without walking. I should make the full two miles by the end of this week, early next week. If I can get up to 3 miles in the next two weeks I'll essentially be on pace to start the marathon training in June.

Tunes For the Week...

I suspect that it'll be a steady mix of:

Dirty Pretty Things - Waterloo to Anywhere

System of a Down - Hypnotize

Arcade Fire - Funeral

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I am, That's What I'm Not

Stereophonics - Decade in the Sun

Those really are the records that I listen to quite frequently when I train. However, the greatest band on Earth, next to Oasis and Kaiser Chiefs, Maximo Park comes out with a new record tomorrow.

Training, Day 1

Typically when I think of the Blogosphere, I think about people with their heads so far up their own asses, that they think people are actually going to read them. This however is going to be slightly different as I'm mainly just posting to have a record of what went into finishing a marathon.

I'll start with some stats, as many of you know, I'm not the, let's say slightest, individual. This morning I came in at 251lbs, 29% body fat, and a 48" waist. Not exactly what you'd expect from someone who plans on running a marathon. Add that to about 3-4 years of smoking around a pack a day, and you've now got to be thinking how the hell are you going to be able to finish a marathon.

For me it's simple math, do I believe in the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Yes. Do I believe that my parents have put me in a position to be a winner? Yes. Am I part of an elite family that has gained favor with St Francis DeSales through their acts? Yes. Finally do I believe that mentally I'm tough enough to finish a 26 mile trek? Yes. If you have these things, I think you really have what it takes. For those of you out there reading that face challenges in life I put it down to being as simple as possible, if you have faith in God, your parents, and yourself, there's very little in life you cannot achieve.

More than anything else, I expect the next few months to be pretty gritty and grimy. When you've come so far out of orbit health wise (for which I've got a pack of excuses), it's going to take a certain amount of toughness to get through the pre-training. Either way, proper marathon training will begin the last week of June per the training book I have. Between now and then I have to get myself up to 4 miles ran. This morning I ran a full mile, walked a half, then ran the last half. If I can by next week run the full 2 miles, then go up half mile increments, I should make it. I'm not going to go over a total of 13 miles per week prior to marathon training. I hope to be at or around 225lbs by the end of June, and then consistently lose weight through out the 17 week training, to ultimately end up at 175lbs. So for the time being I'm going to do the training I did this morning 4 times a week, and then 30 minutes of kettlebell training 2 times a week.

I'll post every once and a while, I suspect that I'll post once or twice a week. The Roman Empire runs the city, I can do it.