52 Day Spring Challenge

Hope springs eternal, so they say. Spring Break has come to an end, and the day after tomorrow it's road warrior time.... and also time for 4 days into the latest installment of the Men's Health 52 Day Challenge.  While I doubt I'll get "Ripped" for summer, it's always fun to challenge myself.
The next 52 Days will be a bit of a challenge....

CE: 85 - There's 104 blocks (twice per day) to eat healthy

RT: 15 - 15 Resistance training sessions

CT: 15 - 15 Cardio sessions

PG1 Journal 8 times - I've been using Day One to journal, and this goal should help to enforce it.

PG2 Drop 5lbs - Duh.... see PG3

PG3 No Beer 20 days - I'm carb sensitive  (which means I put on the lbs), this will make PG2 an easy goal. CE - Clean eating RT - Resistance Training CT - Cardio Training PG1 - PG3 - Personal Goals What Gets Measured Gets Done..... yes Tom Peters managed to nail it way back in the time of mullets and parachute pants..... 1982. If you don't hold yourself accountable (measured) there's  giant chance it won't get done. Not looking to swing all political but in 1996 Hillary Clinton authored the book "It Takes a Village" (this Democratic twist just drove all my friends crazy) and I agree there is power in numbers..... hence the Men's Health 52 Day Challenge. Time to be accountable till May, 13th 2016.

Travel Habits

When you travel, you bring certain habits with you on the road. 

Normally you'll sleep on the same side of the bed as you do at home, you wake up around that same time as you normally do (unless you're hungover) and if you crush a six pack at home each evening you'll typically do the same when you travel (forgetting about the future hangover).

BEFORE - I can't see a thing on TV..... AFTER - All fixed

I have been known to redecorate a hotel room from desks to alarm clocks, nothing is off limits. I'm that much of a creature of habit.  

Recently I read the article  Do You Use the Closet or Drawers in a Hotel Room? by Brian Cohen and it got me thinking about my travel habits when it comes to clothing. At home, we do what I call production laundry, if you want to stress test a washer or dryer send it here. *** Side note -  apparently our washer blows a bearing at 23 towels. When laundry is clean it gets put away, closet or drawer it doesn't matter.

When I travel I unpack the same way every single day. As soon as I get in my room immediately the "Do Not Disturb" sign goes on the door, I'm a big boy I don't need someone to clean up after me each day. Next the Dopp Kit goes in the bathroom. Then clothing, dress pants and shirts get hung up, if they're wrinkled 10 minutes in the bathroom with the steam from the hot water running usually fixes it. The next days undershirt, socks & underwear gets placed on the counter. This procedure is usually repeated nightly, unless it's a 1:00 AM hotel check-in, and then you get what you get.

For the most part I hold true to this system when I travel for work or vacation. I know that if I start shoving stuff in drawers I'll forget it the next morning when I pack up and leave. Case and point, last month on vacation I mistakenly hung up all my clothes in the closet, next morning I packed as I usually do and then four hours up the road I realized what had happened, thank you Fed-Ex & Walmart.

I also try not to litter bedspreads with anything, phone chargers, socks or belts because it's easy for a bedspread to get turned back and cover up all of that stuff. 

Chattanooga, Tennessee

The balance between habits at home and on the road can be a tricky one, but like most things in life it can be made to work.

Samsonite to Buy Tumi

Hello I'm "Still Working On Me" and I'm a gear whore. 

I feel like I carry more connectors and adapters than Amazon. However, my most important piece of gear is my luggage. I generally rotate between Red Oxx, Samsonite & TUMI, depending on the trip as well as its length. Just last week it was announced that "Samsonite and Tumi are joining forces" 

So what does this mean for both brands? I'm guessing not much, Tumi has always been perceived (valid or not) as a high end brand. With Tumi selling $400.00 laptop bags it's hard to avoid that label of high end, while Samsonite pushing sub $150.00 travel luggage is hard to be taken seriously for a true road warrior.

Your average traveler buying luggage at TJ Maxx isn't going to drop major dollars on luggage, no matter what name is stamped on it. Just as patrons at a Tumi store aren't going to feel like they got their moneys worth on a $150.00 carry on.

Will Samsonite have something to do with the future design of Tumi products? To an extent, I'm guessing yes, will true travelers put up with an inferior product? I'm guessing "Hell No". Tumi's warranty is second to none, destroy your bag after 10 years, more than likely Tumi will send you a new one.