Exception to No Pain No Pain

OK there is one exception to my "no pain no pain" rule. If your working out in physical therapy, especially trying to regain range of motion then I'm good with, "NO PAIN NO GAIN" but in normal life-extending exercise get out of my face.

This came to me in the cardio-cinema where most of my exercise induced revelations slap me in the face. Most recently memories of my father have been washing over me as I hump out the miles in front of the big screen as try and avoid the obvious; I have become my dad. If you want to read about me figuring out what this means check out; www.dumbdumbdaddyo.blogspot.com.

He was a great man and a world class athlete. Played both ways and long snapped for the undefeated, Sugar Bowl Champion, 1951 Maryland Terrapins. He taught me everything he knew about overcoming physical and emotional adversity and I didn't appreciate any of it until now.

I learned the root of Maximum Fatigue, however, from a coach who I also didn't appreciate. In fact I hated him. A lot. He was my second least favorite coach in a long list of coaches who (for better or worse) made me what I am today. I will give him the credit he deserves in a future post.

My last cardio-cinema inspired revelation was emotionally overwhelming and it became clear to me what maximufatigue.blogspot.com was going to be; a tribute to the coaches who taught me everything I know about physical fitness. The first and greatest being my father, who taught me how to appreciate good coaching and overcoming the bad ones.

I just read a little book that changed how I feel about all of them.

My new favorite all time book, "Bleachers" by John Grisham is a must read and offers keen insight into the power, magic, and dangers of MAXIMUM FATIGUE.

Goal Weight Achieved

January 16, 2013 was a day like any other day. In fact it was not a particularly good day by any measure. I had two phone interviews, received two dings, took my wife's car in for a free oil change, and realized just how crappy a car I could afford without a job. But as I look back on yesterday there is one thing for which I am very proud. I dragged myself into Gold's, speed walked 2 miles in the cardio-cinema, banged out a six set maximum fatigue work out, did my anti-angalosing spindalitis stretches in the hot tub, 5 minutes in the steam room, dove in the pool, and then weighed myself. It took three years but I made my goal weight! 225 lbs. down from 269...that's me 6' 3" 225!!!

I haven't weighed a healthy 225 since my senior year of college football. Back then I was embarrassed at being so skinny, at weigh-in for summer camp I remember the coach's disgust, but in every other measure that day I was in the best shape of my life and for the first time beat all TEs, FBs, and QBs on the track.

(There was one time I did weigh less. I had Graves disease and didn't know it. As I got really sick my brother called and asked me what my mother had asked him, "Did you move to Aspen to die of AIDS?" I went to the doctor and found I was HIV negative but obviously there was something terribly wrong with me. My inability to manage my health drove me unnecessarily close to death. By the end of this experience I weight 145 lbs. and discovered what it's like to be too skinny. Not fun. Live and learn.)

Goal weight achieved: 225. New goal set: 210.