"Clovis"

1st Lieutenant Clovis T. Ray  of San Antonio, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.  He was killed in action on March 15, 2012 in Asadabad, Kunar province, Afghanistan, of injuries caused by an improvised explosive device.  He died a hero to this country and a role model of devotion to duty.

Veterans Day is a day to reflect upon the sacrifices of those who have or continue to serve.  The men and women who answer our nation’s call and don the uniform are becoming more and more a shrinking sliver of the overall American population.  In the current era the burden of war is placed squarely upon the shoulders of the few.  The nature of modern conflict has made asymmetrical an emerging norm and it will be these veterans who will again answer the call in our communities.  There is no need to say thank you or offer a free dinner at a chain restaurant, as military service is now a choice.  Instead, honor them with quality VA benefits to mitigate the side effects of war and help provide meaningful skills for those returning to the civilian work force.  No veteran requires anyone’s pity nor wants a handout, what they truly yearn for is a sense of community and acceptance into society at large. 

In the Tabata Times article Veterans and CrossFit: Why it Works, the author states, “Our entire military career is built on the foundation that the people around us are our family.”  It is after the veteran returns home and attempts to assimilate back into regular society that the issues start to arise.  Gone is the “battle buddy” who shares the same core beliefs and sacrifices.  The issues of alcohol abuse, drug addiction, marital discord, and even suicide can easily become a new norm for the individual veteran unless a new sense of community is developed.  In comes CrossFit, Team RWB, TeamRubicon, etc…  These organizations are extremely popular with veterans as it provides a sense of belonging to a new tribe that also shares common values, respect, and trust.  It is through these fraternal groups (or those like them) that society can again come together and build common bonds.

Today my CrossFit Box, CrossFit Sweat Angel, honored 1st Lieutenant Clovis T. Ray with a Hero WOD. 

LT…your sacrifice is not forgotten.

“CLOVIS”

For Time

Run 10 miles

150 Burpee Pullups

We performed the WOD as a team of 2.

My Battle Buddy, Devin--Before

After

Beach 2 Battleship Race Report

Beach 2 Battleship October 25, 2014 Race Report

It has been quite the year that culminated into finishing my second Ironman distance triathlon.  I signed up for the race almost a year ago and in that time I deployed to Djibouti for 5 months and then made a military move from Georgia to Delaware.  My fitness was not quite where I wanted it to be but in the end I just had to get ‘er done.

Josh and I rented a condo for the 4 days leading up the race.  This is truly a key to success for any large fitness event.  For comparable pricing we had our own bedrooms, bathrooms, living room, and kitchen.  Other than the Thursday night meal everything we ate we made at the condo.  This kept our out of pocket expenses to a minimum. 

I headed down to Wilmington, North Carolina right after work on Wednesday to set myself up for enough time to leisurely check in, swim, bike, run, and pack race bags.  I arrived around midnight and was up early on Thursday.  Headed down to the expo to check in right at noon and made it through with no issues.  The event staff and volunteers were fantastic and on top of the entire process.  The expo was really, really small with only the bare essentials.  I didn’t need much so it was not that big of an issue.   That afternoon Josh, Emile, and I took our bikes out for a 20 minute spin to cycle through all the gears and then followed it up with a run around the block.  All was in working order.

On Friday, the three of us met up with the  B2B Facebook group for a swim off the dock at the swim exit (across from T1).  There was a group of about 20 athletes that swam for about 25 minutes to get the feel of the saltwater and the lay of the land.  I am not a strong swimmer and this was invaluable to me.  It is just that extra step to help alleviate anxiety. 

I used an Endurance Nation plan for last year’s Ironman Florida race and I loosely followed it this year.  I 100% believe in their racing philosophy and the needed steps to successfully set up a good race experience.  After swimming, the rest of the day was all about resting and getting the right food into my stomach.  Big breakfast, turkey sub sandwich for lunch, and chicken with sticky rice for dinner.  Lights out at 9 PM. 

Saturday morning Josh and I heading out to the convention center to jump on the trolley to T1.  We arrive at 0515 (15 minutes early) and were surprised to jump straight onto a coach and head over.  The whole morning process went as planned and I was able to get my bike set up, tires pumped, and T1 bag checked in.  It was a little confusing on where to get body marked, but it all worked out.  Always, always, always have a flashlight.  We then caught another trolley to swim start.  We arrived very early and stood around for a good hour.  At 0700 we put on our wetsuits and started to walk down to the start.  It was an absolutely beautiful morning with temperatures in the low 50s.  Expected water temperature was 69-71.  PERFECT!  We met back up with Emile and enjoyed some quiet time before it started.  Josh and I were able to get into the water to warm up and this was key to our great start.

0730 Swim start…the atmosphere was electric.  BANG!!!!  We were off.  I lined up towards the back and was able to get all the fast swimmers in front of me.  The inlet was so wide that I rarely touched another swimmer during the entire first leg.  I zig zagged quite a bit until I was able to settle in with bilateral breathing and just move forward.  Before I knew it I was at swim exit and getting out of the water.  I looked down at my watch and it read 58 minutes.  HOLY SMOKES!!!  That current was fast!

Swim: 1:00:45

T1 entailed a quarter mile run across the street to the changing tents.  On the way I jumped under the hot water showers to get the salt off of me, grabbed my T1 bag and headed to the tent.  I didn’t change and only grabbed my arm sleeves.  My helmet, gloves, and shoes were already on the bike.  In and out…

T1: 7:21

Bike.  The start of the bike was good.  The temperatures were great and I felt really good after the fast swim.  The grate across the bridge was probably the most sketchy part of the race.  One guy in front of me went down and my back tire slid side to side.  My heart rate wasn’t reading on my monitor so I used RPE for pacing.  I started my nutrition plan right away and was able to get fluids into me.  I trained with HEED and did not like it.  My biggest mistake was sticking with HEED instead of figuring something else out for the bike nutrition during training.  By mile 20 I was already sick to my stomach from the stuff.  I held steady until mile 60 and the combination of not feeling great and the arch in my right foot cramping caused the ride to become quite miserable.  I chunked out the remaining miles into 10-mile blocks and just pushed it.  This is where my lack of fitness really showed and came back to haunt me.  By the 112 miles I just wanted off the bike.

Bike: 6:42:34

T2 was uneventful.  I grabbed what I needed and headed out. 

T2: 5:49

Run.  I was hoping the cramp in my foot would loosen up once I got off the bike, but that didn’t happen.  I peg legged run (like a pirate) the first 2 miles and was not sure I would be able to finish.  Fortunately for me my Dad was on the course racing the half.  When I ran into him I asked if he had any pain meds…he is always prepared.  800 MG of Motrin and 20 minutes later the pain was gone.  The next issue I needed to solve was I was really nauseous.  I ran past the BASE salt folks and decided to give it a whirl.  10 minutes after that I felt great!!!!!  I kept up the salt and water at every aid station and used Cliff Shot blocks for food.  I kept this until mile 19 then switched to coke.  At mile 23 I picked up the pace to run it hard into the finish.  Other than the first couple miles I felt great on the run.  

Run: 5:24:42

Total: 13:21:09

The finish was awesome!  My Dad, Josh and Emile met me.  Our super supporter crew of Gen, Amanda, and Ben were right there as well.  I grabbed a pizza and we hammed it up for pictures.  I was able to see both of my sisters finish as well.  All in all it is a great race and I highly recommend it. 

Dreams of the Waffle House Nation

A conversation yesterday sparked my imagination and stirred an internal debate about what I should really be focusing on.  Should I continue down the same path or maybe open the aperture a bit and take some real risks.  Is the reward worth the effort?  Does a simple existence equal happiness?  Those questions occupied my thoughts for most of the past 24 hours. 

The conversation revolved around climbing Mt. McKinley.  Previous to these past couple of years there were many things I classified as well beyond my reach.  Most of them were due to my belief in my own physical limitations.   The 50K trail race put that to rest.  Some ideas were just so far outside of what I felt I would be able to do that I just never thought I would have the opportunity.  Jumping out of an airplane scratched that one from the list.  For others I just did not think I had the mental strength to push through.  Well, an Ironman triathlon was one of those things and I was able to complete that.

Then why was climbing Mt. McKinley also something I never thought I would be able to do?  It is because I kept my dreams and goals too small.  I let the world around me push me into a small box and allowed myself to be kept there.  I let other people tell me that I could not do something.  In the end it was my fault because I listened and did not dream big.

Malcolm Glazer, the billionaire owner of Manchester United, passed away this week at the ripe old age of 85.  What is remarkable about this?  Absolutely nothing.  In the end, this billionaire lived out his years and then quietly moved on.  He left this world with exactly what he came in with…nothing.  That is empowering!

During lunch today I sat down with a pen and jotted down a list of things I would like to accomplish in my lifetime.  There were no criteria to limit the size or scope of the items.  I made myself dream big.  Actually, I made myself dream really big.  Here is that preliminary list…. I guess you could call it my bucket list.  Since it is my list I reserve the right to add or subtract from it. 

In no particular order:

Climb Mt. McKinley

Bike across the U.S.

Hike the Appalachian Trail

Run Rim to Rim

Visit Pompeii

Stand on the Great Wall of China

Walk through the ice on Antarctica

See the Valley of the Kings

Complete an Ultra triathlon

Run a 100 mile race

Scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef

Walk next to Hadrian’s Wall

Stand at Thermopylae

Learn a second language

Run Spartathlon

Walk the beach at Normandy

       

IronDoxy

The countdown has started.  I can now start marking my time until I leave by the amount of malaria medication I have remaining.  It truly is a love-hate relationship with that little pink pill.  If you don’t take it and one of those nasty little mosquitoes gets you then look out.  If you do take it, but on an empty stomach…look out!  All in all I will take the upset stomach over the shivers any day.  It is the price of coexisting in Africa with the camels, goats, skinny cows, and occasional sheep.

The time ticks away…tick tock.  This week will mark 3 months away from home with only 2 months-ish left.  The temperature and humidity continues to rise as we march steadily towards summer.  I count myself fortunate that I get the distinct pleasure to experience Africa hotness in its full July glory prior to heading home.  Yes!  Yes!  Yes!

Training is accelerating at a breathtaking pace.  Fitness and strength are both improving.  Mobility still needs some work.  Body comp is in progress.  My training partner (the ever illustrious Marine Master Sergeant or MB) and I are always looking for new ways to push the limit just a little more.  He kills me on the run and then I get to return the favor on the squat rack.  It really is a symbiotic relationship that is built upon fear, intimidation, and ridicule.   Today was a 1000-meter swim, followed with a 25-mile bike, and then a 5-mile run.  Not too shabby for two old guys.

During the time away from home I have also spent a ton of time reading and researching for a methodology of fitness that moves past event based fitness and more towards a holistic, sustainable program.  I have been looking for programming that makes life outside of the gym easier.   One of the pitfalls of being an aging athlete is that as fitness becomes harder to maintain…weight gain is easier, mobility starts to suffer and chronic injuries manifest themselves.  For programming to be sustainable it has to address and solve all of these issues. 

I stumbled upon an article that had a statement that was so profound that it changed my entire view on fitness, health, and training.  (Fitness and Health are not always related) It said, “Treat yourself as a professional athlete.”  Bang!  The context of the article is for the tactical military guy (i.e. spec ops dude), but if you really think about that statement you can see how it transfers to the everyday person or everyday athlete.  Treat yourself as a professional athlete (minus the entourage, hookers, and blow)! More simply, train and take care of your body as if your livelihood depended upon it….because it actually does.   If you need any examples please ask me and I will give you some.

In form athletes don’t eat fruit loops for breakfast, stop at Burger King for lunch, and then eat chicken fingers for dinner because they are tired and the kids are hungry.   They don’t drink gallons of soda (or diet soda) and eat mountains of candy. They also don’t go to the gym and frantically cram in 40 minutes on the elliptical machine, chase it down with a double latte frappe on their way back to work and then wonder why they are fat.  (They still drink Sierra Nevada…its my article and I get to say what I want to).  

In Dan John’s book Intervention he argues that strength is the foundation for all fitness.  It is strength that brings everything together.  He lists a series of standards that everyone should achieve.  In the article Fitness, Not Mobility, Is Durability, Jordan Smothermon goes one step further and states, “We believe strength is king.”  He also uses the durability formula  “Durability = 80% Strength + 10% Proper (Functional) Movement + 10% Mobility” For the aging athlete this is the recipe for continued success or even possibly the course correction needed to find lost fitness. 

The current fitness craze focuses too much on endurance sports as the ultimate achievement of athleticism.  It does have its place, but should not be the focus of what is achieved.  Endurance races (marathons, triathlons, ultras, centuries) are nothing more than expressions of fitness.   The issue is not with these events, it is more with how we train for these events.  It not uncommon to see endurance athletes hurt for large stretches of time….especially the weekend warrior sort.  A marathon as an expression of fitness does you no good if you cannot climb a fence to get your kid's ball out of the neighbor's yard or you are so functionally stiff that you cannot bend over and pick up a bag of groceries without straining your back.  I will argue that fitness must have a direct application to life and be able to be expressed as such.  Remember…strength + movement + mobility.

My focus for the past three months has been on all three of these.  Strength has dominated, but all three are worked throughout the training cycle.   This week I am starting my second block of strength programming with the LBEB 12 week program.  I also swim, bike, run, do BJJ and martial arts (MCMAP)…but the real laser focus is on strength.  There is a lot of work left to do and I am still learning what it takes to treat myself as a professional athlete, but I know for sure it was not what I was doing in the past.   The diet still could use some work (I love ice cream) and I really dislike stretching.  After Beach 2 Battleship I will be changing my overall programming to something that looks like what Mountain Athlete offers….tough, functional training with mobility mixed in.  That sounds like a recipe for success.

Live One Day as a Lion

Warning…Harsh language at the end

As the saying goes, “it is better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand days as a lamb.”  Life has a sweet taste when savored after a meal of adventure followed by a swig of daring.  Is it fear that rules over us, or do we grab a hold of what haunts us in the night, stare it straight in the face and give it a wink back?  Yes indeed, let's give it a wink.  

I am still having the absolute best deployment you could ever ask for.  This week I was given the opportunity to jump with a team of PJs, EOD, and SERE Specialists.  How could I ever say no to that?  Now I have to admit it is like most things that I find myself in the middle of….sounds like a great idea at the time, but as it gets closer I start to wonder what the heck I got myself in to. 

At show time I met up with my tandem jump “head guy” and we rehearsed every part of it.  He says, “I am going to put my arm out, then in, then out and we then walk off the ramp.”  I say, “Is it like 321…go…do we go on 1, or after 1, or 1.5?  He snorts back, “No….arm goes out the second time we walk.”  Gotcha!  Then he briefs me on the three most important things: 1) Arch my back when we go, 2) don’t touch anything above and behind your shoulders, and 3) Lift your legs when we land.  He promptly told me if I grab up and back he was going to punch me in the jaw and knock me out.  Awesome!  Thank goodness it did not come to that. 

I have to say that the scariest part of the entire event was the walk to the edge of the ramp.  Of course, we had two “no drops” and had to go back to our seats.  Then on the third attempt it was a go.  As we shuffled forward all I could think about was “Don’t poop my pants, don’t poop my pants.”  Thank goodness…I didn’t poop my pants!  I could feel my heart pumping at over 106 BPM (yes, I checked) as I walked off the edge of a C-130 at 10,500 feet.  It is very much like walking into the waves at IM Florida with 2,000+ of my closest friends.  You just do it.  We promptly did a back flip as I screamed WOOOOHOOOOOO!  It was like nothing I have ever done.  The air becomes eerily quiet and there is a sense of stillness as the ground comes rushing up.  The parachute opens and we guide into the inverted V on the drop zone.  After about a minute we slid into the dirt and the jump was over.  I looked behind and said, “What happened to lift the feet?” 

As I was walking back to the hooch I kept asking myself, "How did I become so lucky?"

Training is going exceptionally well.  MB and I work out 7 days of week using swim, bike, run as the basis of cardio work and strength training to build total fitness.  The end of this past week was a bit of a challenge as both of us were absolutely spent.  After 8 hours of sleep on Friday all was back to normal.  Africa is hot right now and temperatures are close to 100 by 0900.  At 0500 when we run it is already warm and humid with the aroma of burnt trash.   I wasn’t sure how well everything was gelling together until the mini tri we completed today.  1000m swim, 45 minutes on the bike, and 2 mile run.  The bike and run were done on equipment within the gym…I was holding a 7:30 pace and feeling pretty good.

Another week starts tomorrow and this Thursday will mark 3 months of being gone.  Time is flying by!

This deployment has helped build a ton of perspective.  I have learned more from the folks around me in the past 90 days then I have in my past two assignments.  As I was walking through a special operations squadron this was posted on a locker and it really sums up my entire experience.  Quite your whining and HTFU!

Row Well…and Live

My mantra of the week is row well…and live.  Or even simpler, seize the day and do your absolute best.  Simpler than that, don’t be a bottom feeder. 

I look around and I see the willingness to perform at the absolute bare minimum.  Worse than that is the acceptance of mediocrity.  Why is it okay to be in last place?  Why is it okay to slide by but then expect the same as everyone else?  Why is the average person uninspired and willing to just exist?  I say…row well…and live.  Work for your supper!

Hard truth #1: losing sucks.  Hard truth #2: not everyone wins.  Hard truth #3: If you don’t want to lose then you have to work hard.  Refer back to Hard truth #1.  Row well…and live.

At mile 5 of our 6.6 interval run MB (Marine buddy) looks at me and asks, “what hurts?”  My reply is, “nothing.”  He then says, “good, let’s create some pain…respiratory pain.”  Roll well…and live.

During Brazilian Jujitsu later in the morning the instructor looks at us and says, “get in the mount, now choke him.”  Row well…and live.

If you want to win…there are no shortcuts.  In the end, losing really sucks.

If you are willing to vomit….

I received a text message this morning that said, “If you are willing to vomit, I can make you faster.”  I replied, “Awesome!  Sign me up.”  In actuality I gave a squeamish gurgle mixed with a sigh.  My Marine buddy and training partner can be summed up one word…INTENSE.  Well, here goes nothing!

This week marks 2 months of being deployed and a great point in the cycle to increase the work.  Triathlon specific intervals and strength training were dialed up a notch with the aim to finish the deployment in top gear.  A lot can be accomplished with 3 months left.  I added an extra bonus to spice up the training.  One of the new folks that just showed up is a professional BJJ fighter and offered up personal lessons to Tony (intense Marine dude) and I.  Today marked round 1…two distinguished gentleman (old guys) rolling around on the mat sweating on each other with a very stern instructor yelling at us to BRIDGE, TURN, GET ON YOUR SIDE, etc…  Needless to say I am absolutely 100% certifiably smoked!  It is 6:42 and I am ready for bed.

There is no better feeling than knowing that I chart the path of my future.  Hard work is here and it is time to push up the throttles. 

I am the master of my fate

I am the captain of my soul

X X

Pararescueman CMSgt Nicholas L. McCaskill, 306th Rescue Squadron was killed in action while serving in Afghanistan on April 6, 2013.  One year later the men and women of the 82d Expeditionary Rescue Squadron and Camp Lemonnier came together to “Monster Mash” in his honor.  His Operator initials were XX or 10 10.  In the spirit of XX each team of 4 completed 1010 fitness repetitions.  What is extra special for our camp and this event is that many who participated were teammates of his.  It was a humbling experience to watch these warriors push through the repetitions and at the end….perform one extra team push up for Chief McCaskill

Chief McCaskill left behind a wife and 2 daughters.

We celebrate the lives of heroes…for it is they who display the finest qualities of all of us.

100 Tire Flips (Team)

100 Air Squats (Individual)

100 Pull Ups (Team)

100-Meter Run (Individual)

100-Meter Litter Carry (Team)

100-Meter Buddy Carry (Individual)

100 Deadlifts (185/95) (Team)

100 Push Presses (95/45) (Team)

100 Burpees (Team)

100 Sit-ups (Team)

10 Team Push ups

+ 1 Team Push Up for Chief McCaskill

Slow Down…There are Goats in the Road

In Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life, his ‘point to ponder’ for today was “it is never too late to start growing.”  That is a powerful call to action!  It is definitely never to late to start growing spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally.  Changing how we see ourselves is the first step in the journey and the building (or more often rebuilding) of relationships is the next.  We are social creatures that draw strength from one another.  The path travelled is often better with those around we are close with.  I personally feel stronger with my wife next to me...we have decided that it is never too late for us to start growing and have started on a path to just be better.

My ultimate mission statement (inspired by Jim Loehr’s The Only Way to Win) starts….

In all that I do, the welfare of my family is first and foremost

            It is my goal to be a loving husband to my wife and father to my 

            children

I continuously strive for humility, patience and generosity

            My behavior demonstrates my belief in strong and ethical decisions

It ends with…. 

            If knocked down I will ALWAYS get back up…no matter what.

The fitness plan has really kicked in this week.  My goal is to hit all the CrossFit workouts  during the week and add in a variety of cardio work.  It is Wednesday and I am tired but feeling really good.  The local CrossFit Box has also started a very strict paleo challenge modeled after The Whole30 from http://whole9life.com…if you have not tried it I highly recommend you do.  It is the only way I know of to get your life back on track and take back control of your health.  Yes…it is a challenge at first but after 3 weeks you will feel the best you have felt in years.  

Monday (31 March)

2:00 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls

2:00 Abmat situps

2:00 Air Squats

2:00 Hand release push ups

X3

Finished with 10X 50 meter sprints

Tuesday (1 April)

Burpees to the Song Roxeane….

300 Med Ball Cleans with a Partner-150 each

1000 meter Swim

Wednesday (2 April)

10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 Deadlifts

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 Ring Push Ups

Be Awesome!

So….are you a runner or someone who just runs?  Are you a triathlete or someone who just likes to swim, bike, and run?  Or are you a crossfitter or someone who just likes to go to the gym and hang out with really cool people?  I guess my point really is...have you embraced the culture of what you are doing?  Many came up with excuses or define themselves negatively in regards to fitness and sports.  It is a fact that our bodies were made to run for miles to escape from cheetahs (well, maybe not cheetahs) and hunt buffalo…we were also made to lift heavy things (like rocks, trees, and elephants…well, maybe not elephants).  In order to be the athlete you were meant to be you must embrace the culture of activity.  Put down the remote control, throw the cigarettes away (or that goofy glass pipe thing everyone is smoking now) and get yourself outside.  There are talkers and doers…there are consumers and producers.  Which one are you?

Go be awesome!

Workouts are improving everyday.  Extra sleep and programming has helped a ton.  I am scaling the exercises, but getting stronger. 

WOD1: 5min AMRAP

5 Toes to Bar

7 Box Jumps (24/20)

9 KB Swings (53/35)

-       Rest 3mins –

WOD2: 2min AMRAP HSPU

-       Rest 3mins –

WOD3: 7min AMRAP

3 Hang Power Clean (135/95)

7 Front Squats (135/95)

3 Shoulder to Overhead (135/95)

So Others May Live….

I had the pleasure of spending this past Saturday with combat rescue.  It really was an incredible experience to observe and learn from these quiet professionals.  There are brave men and women out there that will gladly risk their lives to ensure yours is saved.  I am thankful for their sacrifices and devotion to duty.

I have to say…there is nothing like being tossed into the ocean, man handled by a PJ and then hoisted into a helicopter.  Afterwards I looked at the PJ and said, “you and I are forever connected…. you put your legs around my hips, now we are bonded for life.”

I follow Lisbeth Darsh’s blog, http://wordswithlisbeth.com/2014/03/23/to-make-a-fire/, and in her post this morning she briefly discussed the intensity and focus of starting a fire.  What could we accomplish if we focused that intensity on ourselves and becoming better at one or two tasks?  If we could really hone in on this concept I personally believe we could change the world.  Jeff Olson talks about what it takes to create the Slight Edge…it is being consistent day in and day out.  While others muddle along the truly courageous focus their “fire building” and consistently become better over time.

CrossFit morning.  It is a Chipper version of the 14.4 open workout.  I am going to call it Rescue…because when you are done you will need someone to “rescue” you.

20 Min AMRAP

Run 400 meters

25 Toes to Bar

20 Wall Balls

15 Cleans (135/95)

10 Chest to Bar Pull ups

I scaled all parts and was able to get 2 complete rounds.  Everyday I feel like I am getting stronger and stronger.  My diet and pull-ups are going to be the focus. 

Week in Review- 17- 23 Mar 2014

I have to pinch myself everyday…I am thankful for this opportunity to serve great American warriors.  The most precious treasure of our country has freely given themselves to this cause and it is my job to make sure their efforts are not in vain and they have everything they require to accomplish the task at hand.  It is an amazing responsibility and one I take very seriously.

This week has been great.  I am slowly but surely getting acclimated to the heat and humidity.  I completed 3 CrossFit workouts, 2 gym strength sessions and ran 6.3 miles.  My goal was to cut the running down and that was accomplished.  I was also able to get 58.3 hours of sleep to aid in recovery.  Most days I am still sore and stiff, but there is definitely some fitness progress being made.  I am currently struggling with the nutrition/diet piece.   This will be the main focus of the next week's efforts and I hope to establish better habit patterns.

The goals for this week are:

-       56+ hours of sleep

-       All 3 CrossFit workouts & all 3 strength workouts

-       18 miles of running

-       Dialing in the diet

-       Drink more water