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I’ve been quietly writing my book for the last several days, and I feel like I’m only bringing my “B” game to the blog. Here’s what I have on tap. Follow this a moment, would you?
Suck it up. Get it done.
I have a near obsession with military books. I read account after account about people’s lives in the various services. I have read plenty about World War II, and I seem to split my time between there and Vietnam. Unlike the spazzes and sickos who read it to fantasize about killing, I’m deeply obsessed with the conditioning it takes to do the simplest things: stay awake, crawl for days through tall grass, run towards loud noises instead of away.
I am searching for signs, for methods, for skills to give me some of that same magic. I’m looking to transform myself through my own physical efforts. My goal is to scrape away all my own whining. I want to burn through the weakness. I’m trying to burn a few character traits into me that don’t exist naturally. I want to be on that last pushup and still squeeze five more out.
I never want to post that it’s so hard not to eat a Cheeto. I never want to be frustrated with my inability to stick with a program. I don’t want there to be options. I don’t want to choose the softer path. There’s no qualifiers I want beside any of my results.
What appeals about the various military branches is that no one asks them for opinions. No one says, “I sure hope you can do this for me, Frank.” They say, “I need all your men over there in thirty minutes.” Directions are clear (usually), and results are expected. Not hoped for. It’s the same as saying, “I’m going to turn the key and this engine will ALWAYS start.”
Readying for Battle
How much of our lives do we spend making excuses for ourselves? Inside our own heads, or out into the world around us, there are all these situations where we don’t exactly hit our own best effort and we accept it. Sure, we don’t have to be perfect 100% of the time with EVERYTHING in our lives. But can’t we strive for our best in those areas of our life that we control?
It wasn’t until reading a few of Fig’s most recent posts that I finally understood (or understood better) what it was I sought in all the various military books I’ve been reading. Because I never joined the services (technically, I’d be a horrible military person, because I think too much, and I question too much), I only have second-hand information with which to fill my head. But what I’m aiming for is a better command of my efforts. Better than willpower, I want a lack of excuses.
That’s one recurring theme I got from the USMC recruit program. There were generally only three answers. Yes, Sir. No, Sir. No excuse, Sir. That third one’s really cool. Sucks some times, I’m sure. There are times when things just aren’t fair. (And all the parents of the world reply in chorus: life’s not fair).
Could you do it? Could you hone your training down even further? Could you make your efforts around nutrition and fitness be your best possible output as often as possible (barring injury and illness within reason)?
Neca has a post on her site talking about the two categories of weight loss blogs she tends to read. Type 1 are the whiners who struggle and strain against the process. Type 2 are the ones who have made fitness and good nutrition a way of life. She asked where you fit into the equation. And hell, Fig is practically wailing out her battle cry of late. She’s dead set against the whiners.
I dunno. There are lots of ways to feel motivated. I’m just getting deeper and deeper into asskicking territory. Who’s ass? My own!
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Kat’s really cool. She says, “Why don’t you sell your XBox and buy those rings you want with the money?” Smart, eh? I normally don’t think this way. (Which is part of why I have problems with money.)
I hit the gym today and did some of the stuff I missed from yesterday. I focused on my triceps mostly, doing several vertical dips at one of the ab stations. (You know those things people rest their elbows on, and then bring their legs up and down? Well, that’s where you can do dips, too!)
I went from that into an ouchy triceps exercise called the bodyweight triceps extension. You take a Smith machine, set the bar a little higher than your waist, and stretch out so that you’re grabbing the bar about shoulder width apart. Walk your legs back until you’re forming a flat line diagonally from your feet on the floor to your hands on the bar. Then, bend your elbows and lower your body a little bit (still straight line). To complete, straighten your arms back up. Ow! But really good, and bodyweight-a-riffic.
I did some dumbell cleans, which I decided to do after neca mentioned on her site that she was following a workout she found on stumptuous.com. Those were pretty neat, though I felt a weird clicking ouchy thing in my front deltoid.
And then, the sprints.
For once, I remembered to bring my iPod, so I had my own music on board. It’s amazing sprinting around their stupid indoor track (I do a sprint up the long leg of the track, and jog the other three to catch my breath) while listening to Limp Bizkit, System of a Down, Public Enemy, and others. It’s amazing how much you push yourself when you’ve got thrashing music to accompany you.
I did around 20 laps like this, to the point where my lungs were doing that old fashioned “ow! Stop doing this or I’ll bring up blood!” kind of complaining. But it sure felt nice.
On the food, I’m trying something different today. I’ve written down the menu of what I intend to eat today. I’ll keep track of what I eat, and see how I match up. But, having that list of foods lined up from Breakfast, through the snacks, until my treat before bed, I feel is a neat way of sticking to a plan. It’s not as open-ended and nebulous as just reporting what I chose to put in my body. We’ll see if this somehow influences my caloric intake.
I’m in a great mood today. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and opinions.
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