52 Day Summer Challenge

So........ after a less than stellar 52 Day Spring Challenge I'm back in for the 52 Day Summer Challenge. In the triathlon world DNF means "Did Not Finish" and that was the first challenge that I started and pulled a DNF.

http://solvingtheibspuzzle.com/fatty-foods/

There are times when it gets piled a tad bit on the high side and Spring 2016 was just that time - listed a house, sold a house, finished construction on a new house, closed on a new house, sort of moved into the new house, a major business event and prepared the youngest for High School Graduation and everything that goes with that, #ClassOf2016 . There were 32 nights in hotels, 21 flights, a new car that has 15k miles on it plus a dozen or so rental cars..... safe to say late March through Mid-May was crazy. Oh yeah, throw in a relative with a quadruple bypass and it gets even more hectic.





This challenge my goals are simple.

CE: 4/6/85 (4.71%)
RT: 2/15 (13.33%)
CT: 2/15 (13.33%)
PG1 (Weigh Less Each Week): 0/7 (0%)
PG2 (No Beer 30 Days): 2/30 (6.67%)
PG3 (Journal 7 Times): 0/7 (0%)

3 days in, and I'm already moving forward! The highlight of this challenge time frame is that the new new house will have room for my weights, bench, GHR and rack. Goodbye Globo Gym and hello working out on my terms, no Keeping Up with the Kardashians on the TV, no cell phones, plenty of chalk and the clanking of weights.

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.

5 Things I Learned In The Last 52 Days

The latest 52 Day Challenge came to an end last Friday. It was my first challenge after a 5 or 6 year absence, and it was as much fun as I remembered it being.

My Final Numbers
CE: 93/104/89 (104.49%)
RT: 13/15 (86.67%)
CT: 20/15 (133.33%)
PG1 (Weigh less each week): 6/7 (85.71%)
PG2 (Read 3 times per week): 29/21 (138.1%)

CE - Clean Eats
RT - Resistance Training
CT - Cardio Training
PG1 & PG2 - Personal Goals

I could've made the RT number if I did a few 2-a-days, but it's not something that I normally do so I felt as if I was "skirting' the challenge that way. CT numbers are usually easy, because most every hotel has a treadmill or a sidewalk for a walk or run.

CE's & PG1 went hand in hand (you can't out train a bad diet). I stayed away from the beer and in the last week or so really cleaned up the diet. 52 days later I am down 9 pounds.

PG2 was set in place to unplug and get away from the connected devices...... and then I ended up reading using the Kindle app. Actually I found the app easier than carrying around a book with me everywhere I went.

5 Things I Learned In The Last 52 Days

1. Globo Gyms do kind of suck, mine offers free Pizza & Bagels once a month and they have a huge bucket of Tootsie Rolls on the counter.
2. You can't out train a bad diet, unless you're a genetic miracle.
3. Just like Oprah "I love bread", unfortunately my body doesn't. No Gluten intolerance or Celiac disease here I just think my body says "Oh look a sandwich, don't even bother digesting it, just shove it right there, next to his F'ing belly button".
4. There's something about accountability and community. At the start we were all in this together and no one wants to let anybody down.
5. I miss Crossfit, unfortunately my time schedule just wasn't meeting up with my boxes. I enjoyed the variance of exercises and not having to plan a workout template. My box has a great community, from mud races to birthday parties it's a solid group of people.

and cardio still sucks.

52 - 42 = There's Still Time.

Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future.  Steve Miller Band – Fly Like An Eagle

I equate 52DC math to sleep math (It's 12:00 PM I have to wake up at 6:00 AM, if I go to sleep right now I'll get 6 hours). I've got 10 days left in this challenge, and I'm a bit short on my goals.

CE: 73/82/89 (82.02%)

RT: 8/15 (53.33%)

CT: 15/15 (100%)

PG1 (Weigh less each week): 4/7 (57.14%)

PG2 (Read 3 times per week): 21/21 (100%) That RT: 8/15 (53.33%) number is a giant cup of suck, and it's all my fault. Yes, I can probably crank out 7 RT's in the next 10 days but playing catch up isn't what this is all about. Of the last 42 nights, I've spent 20 of them in hotels, still plenty of time to get in 15 RT's, but I decided to do differently. The 52DC is all about accountability and I own that one. PG1 - lots of events that involve food will make you fat as well as take you away from the RT's, and I own this as well. PG2 - a strong indicator of time on the road, besides I'm an information junkie. Like I always say "fact is stranger than fiction". All in all with 10 days left not my proudest 52DC performance, but life is a journey, not a destination.

the Week...In Review

I only hit the pool once this week, not what I had planned, but it is what happened. I had planned to get in the pool today, but due to a crazy Saturday schedule that didn't happen. The fact that I ran 6 miles this week was somewhat comforting. Visited the gym three times this week and started to incorporate some exercises that are supposed to help with swimming, we'll see. Physically I'm feeling pretty good, with the start of triathlon training I've added some BCAA's to help with muscle recovery and restoration as well as some foam rolling. The pool and lawn cutting is on the agenda for Sunday, possibly an afternoon bike ride as well.

Accomplishments week of 4/2

This past week
I replaced roadwork cardio with DVD cardio, not a bad choice
Got in 4 resistance training sessions
Lost 1.6 pounds
I managed to drop my carbs to under 80 grams per day



The scale showed 212.6 this morning, not a bad way to start the weekend. I'm going to chalk it up to the Cardio DVD's and the drop in carb consumption. I should be below 210 by the end of the challenge.



I dug out my old GymBoss timer the other day and began using it for intervals, planks and rest times between sets....I forgot how handy this thing can be.




The food of the week Gardein Beefless Tips Package. They were 2 for 1 at Publix....yes I'm a bargain shopper. I cooked them in garlic and low sodium Soy Sauce, not bad tasting. 150 calories, 8 grams of carbs & 18 grams of protein all in 3/4 of a cup and yes I ate the whole bag.

On a lighter note I managed to snag my wife with a great Aprils Fools prank. I made a fake hollow roll of toilet paper. When she went to pull the toilet paper off of the roll she was greeted with a nice April Fools message. It worked like a champ.....

Accomplishments week of 3/26

This past week
Spent time in Jacksonville, FL
Got in close to 18 miles of cardio
Got in 3 resistance training sessions
Lost 1.8 pounds


Again the scale was kind this week, dropping 1.8lbs for the week including a major breakfast screw up, I'll just call it a "Metabolism Adjustment". Three days on the road this week and I really didn't get near enough food into my system....then you add in all of the exercise it's no wonder that I lost weight and I'm sure some muscle along with those pounds. Dropping the carbs is working I'm going to continue on getting the total carbs down closer to 50 grams each day.

Calories 1,571

Fat 59.3 grams 34%

Carbohydrate 100.4 grams 26 %

Protein 155.8 grams 41%

Accomplishments week of 2/18

Slow on posting the weeks results, it's been a crazy weekend, lots of projects.


This past week
Spent time in Boca Raton, FL, Orlando, FL & Miami, FL
Got in over 18 miles of cardio
Got in 3 resistance training sessions
Lost 3 pounds

I would love to break through into the 215's this week...lets see if it happens.


This last week I chose not to track my foods. Why you might ask? Because after 6 weeks of doing I was at the point that most breakfast, lunch and snacks were the same, the calories were the same, the carb - fat - protein ratio was the same so that left me with just really being concerned with what I was eating for dinner. I've done my numbers for the 40-4-40 and all that's left is to get in is my CE's this week.
I've been looking over the excerpts from 4 Hour Body Book and finally decided to shell out the $14.00 for a copy of my own. Tim has a blog and like most in the online, internet fitness folks it's full of all kinds of marketing hype but inside there is a bunch of free useful information. This morning I built a T-Bar for kettlebell swings for under $10.00...the idea came from Tim's site. I'll post the pics and the link later.

Accomplishments week of 2/11

This past week
Spent time in Atlanta, GA, Greenville, SC & Bonita Springs, FL
Barely did 4.5 miles of cardio
Got in 2 resistance training sessions
Lost 1.2 pounds

hSaw a nice number on the scale this morning, I'm down 13lbs since the start of the 52DC. My eating really suffered this week. I think I drank 4 or 5 Muscle Milks, 4 bags of Pork Rinds and probably 5 bags of Beef Jerky....it was one of those weeks where my food choice seemed to be Fast Food or something quick from a convenience store....My Mom and Dad did feed my Fajita's on Monday night...it's always good to share a meal or two with them.

Accomplishments week of 2/4

This past week
Spent time in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale & St. Petersberg FL
Survived the "Warrior Dash"
Again just shy of 14 miles of cardio
Got in 3 resistance training sessions
Broke through the 220lb mark

219.6 was not that bad of a way to start a Sunday morning.

The Warrior Dash and it's death defying fire pit leap captured by SportPhoto and for the low, low price of $52.00 I can have all of my muddy memories to cherish forever.











The finish lines' Muddy Mayhem did in my warrior cap...Ugh I had a few Spring formal events on the horizon and that hat would've completed the ensemble.

Accomplishments week of 1/28

This Past Week
I didn't travel
I didn't have any beer - some whiskey
Lost a CE last night to wings
Gained close to a pound
13 miles of cardio
Started a new workout template that I actually like



221.2 ahhh the mighty scale displaying my hearty wing fest from last night.
Not that concerned, I'm sure between the salt in the wings and the 4 or 5 Diet Cokes that washed them down it's a well deserved gain.






I need to get the calories up more, more almonds, peanut butter more calories dense foods. I'm burning 3000 calories per week on exercise alone I can afford to add some calories.

Accomplishments week of 1/21

This Past Week
2 trips out of town (Tampa FL, Baltimore MD)
Saw snow for the second time this year
Had 2 beers last Saturday
Lost 3 CE's this week (Beer, Italian food on Tuesday and wings last night)
Lost 11lbs since Jan-5

Managed to only drop 1 lb this week - I'm sure this is a reflection of only lifting one day this week instead of 3 as opposed to the loss of the 3 CE's.

Nutrition Breakdown

Grams	Calories
Calories	1,836
Fat	85.2
Saturated	25.9
Polyunsaturated	14.0
Monounsaturated	32.1
Carbohydrate	90.5
Dietary Fiber	19.9
Protein	170.0
Alcohol	0.0

My carb intake is way below my goal and so are the calories, which is not good because I know how my body will react as it adapts to the lesser caloric intake -----I hold onto fat and lose muscle mass.

Today will be spent working in the yard with a RT and some slosh pipe work in the afternoon.

Accomplishments week of 1/14

This Past Week
3 nights out of town (Tampa FL, Nashville TN & Port Charlotte FL)
Saw snow for the first time this year
Still no beer
Lost 10lbs since Jan-5


11 days into the Winter 52DC and here's where I stand.....The Clean Eats (CE) are going as planned. The Resistance Training (RT) & Cardio Training (CT) numbers are ahead of schedule but I'm really concentrating on getting the exercise in whenever I have the time.
The 40-4-40 is a reflection of the CT's & RT's. The Warrior Dash (Mud, Sweat & Beer.....baby) isn't till the end of the month and this morning I hit my weight loss goal.

I decided to change my weigh in day to coincide with my weekly accomplishment post.

221.4 was what greeted me one the scale this morning! After all these years I've learned at least one thing about my body and it is the relationship between carbs and weight gain and weight loss.....The goal has been to keep the carbs somewhere around 150 grams, using FitDay this has been repetitively easy and I can see a daily, weekly and monthly breakdown of my calories, nutrition and weight..

Accomplishments week of 1/7

Click to biggie size......

This past week
2 nights out of town (Orlando & Sarasota FL)
Managed not to visit an airport
Started the Winter 52DC
Started using FitDay..again....which really works for me when it comes to diet
Went the whole week without a single beer
Tweaked my accountability worksheet to track food calories

As one that has been through more than their fair share of TSA screening I found the below report very interesting.

TSA Scorecard

2010 statistics on Airport screening from the T.S.A. and Department of Homeland Security :

Terrorist Plots Discovered 0

Transvestites 133

Hernia’s 1,485

Hemorrhoid Cases 3,172

Enlarged Prostates 8,249

Breast Implants 59,350

Natural Blondes 3

Accomplishments week of 12/31

The Excel sheet above and the"Accomplishments" is inspired by (and downloaded) from Ms. Bitch Cakes.(Thank You), but I had to change the pink color.

In 2004 (thanks to Robert Scoble ) I started blogging, then in 2009 I shut that blog and took some time off......I've always been fairly anal, OCD or organized - whatever term you want to call it, with tracking things, exercise and travel so since I'm still tracking this I figured I'd store the content, once again, in a public format.

This past week:
Started a new blog........
3 nights out of town (Atlanta, GA)
Took my 68 (and last) flight of the year
Signed up for the Men's Health 52 Day Challenge
Signed up for the Warrior Dash
Worked out with my new Weight Sled & Foam Roller
Started a new workout template from Big Book of Exercises