run the fat off day 12

Run streak is kept alive day 12 complete. 1 mile 13:27 pace. Now I am tired and want to go to sleep. This week has been a long week, I wasn't really feeling the run tonight, I was tired and sore and distracted so it wasn't a great run, but I still made it through, tomorrow will be a better day.

run the fat off

Running was never something that I liked to do, I ran in gym class, I ran in the military through all kinds of weather, I ran for sports and I never liked doing it, I do however know the benefits of running.
Our ancient ancestors ran to survive and it served them well enough, we were made to move not sit behind desks, and if we want to get in shape we all need to get up and run a little,not jam our faces with diets and pills.
I'm only running 1 mile per day which takes up about 15 minutes of my life each day, and after only 11 days I can already feel the benefits, less soreness in my body, stronger core and legs, and increased energy, and my pants already seem to fit better, that last one might be in my head but who cares its all about how we feel inside that counts anyway.
I can't imagine what it will feel like to complete 365 days in a row.

run game day 10

Today is day 10 of my run streak, I ran inside once again, until it becomes spring, indoors is what I have. My runs are getting easier, this is exactly what I had hoped for. I want it to get easy then next month I can add more miles and push myself a little further. But the end of the year I should be able to make an honest effort at a half marathon run. We shall see what the future holds. worst case I still need to lose about 20 lbs, maybe the 1-2 combo of running and Insanity will accomplish that.

day 10
pace 13:27
distance 1.5 miles
I feel pretty good.

run game day 9

Still going.
my wife and daughter are both sick so I have to split my time between being a dad, a husband and still try and get my run in. the streak remains alive at 9 days so far.

My run tonight was late because I had to wait until the baby was asleep, then I was able to get the running shoes on and grind the gears on the treadmill once again. I almost feel bad because it has been so nice, 30-40 degrees in Milwaukee WI, with no snow. But for tracking and consistency the treadmill is still the best bet.

I had a hockey game last night which came at the end of the first week of running, my legs held up better through the whole game then before. I don't hurt at all after running 1 mile and I am able to recover faster after my work outs. I can't believe all the benefits so fast but I know it will keep getting easier, then I will have to ramp up another .5 miles a day.

come back to read about my run on day 10.

run game day 8

Today things were better, I ran my normal 1 mile and still felt good so I just kept going and got in 1.5 miles. this is a good sign that I can do this all year, I hope to keep the momentum going.

tonight I have a hockey game so I wanted to get run in early. My game tonight should use every ounce of energy I have so I need plenty of time to recover.

1.5 miles
13.27 pace (4.5 on the treadmill)

run game day 7

today was day 7 in a row of running a mile, the one mile that I am doing is finally getting a little easier, my knees don't hurt at the end of it and I am getting a good sweat in. for some one mile might not seem like much, but my ultimate goal is to get a new healthy habit, I'm not doing this for the mile exactly.

I am realizing that I am doing the hardest part of the run everyday, some would think the after 3 miles you just keep going until you decide to stop, so the first 3 miles at the part you have to work through. In light of this theory I propose to add a half of mile to my run each month. This should allow me to run farther without the shin splints, and maybe in 2013 I can do my first half marathon. and then.....

see you all back here soon, as always please post comments with whatever you feel after reading this.

running game

Today is day 6 of my run-a-mile-a-day mission, so far so good. Some of the soreness has started to go away and now it is just straight me pushing my way through every mile. some days the run seems to go fast but other days the last quarter mile seems to last forever, today was the later. I just have to remember to keep doing it. 21 days to make a habit 7 weeks to change my life. Today's run 1 mile 13:57 and on the treadmill, for anyone that is actually reading this, you should try it, it sounds like one mile a day is easy but to do it everyday is the challenge. Its like a power hour in college, for those that don't know what that is, drink one shot of beer every minute for an hour, see if you can stand at the end of it.

operation run a mile - Day 5

today I was force to run inside on the treadmill again, today is jan 5 2012 and the temp in Milwaukee today was 45. that is unbelievable, maybe tomorrow I will run outside. So far I have run 5 miles this year, this may seem small compared to some runners but to someone with bad knees, who hasn't run more than a few steps in years this is a big deal, besides I'm not just running to get fit, I am running for consistency and hopefully doing this a few more weeks I can make running a habit and then the health thing will come into play.

today was day 4 for Insanity workout, it was a slower paced yoga style work called cardio recovery, it worked the plank position a lot and my arms and back are pretty sore, soon It wont hurt so much, I have found that out of all the work out videos I've tried over the years this one is the most intense. It is not for the beginner you need to be in some sort of shape to not get frustrated.

come back and see if I can keep this pace up.

running game

today is day 4 of my running goal of 365 straight. today I was on the treadmill again, its a nice treadmill and it sure is getting a workout. today my knees didn't hurt so much, I am apparently starting to adapt to my new high energy life. I am in the market for some recovery supplements now, just a little something to help get through the 24 hours after I work out. Its about drive, I don't want to keep sliding with my fitness, I am doing this to regain control of my weight and my life.

day 4
distance: 1 mile
too cold out so I was on the treadmill.
time 14:17 - I know that is a little slow but at least I'm doing something.

on another note today was day 3 for INSANITY workout, it was rough, Sean T really knows how to work someone out. I went through 4 months of basic training in the military and didn't hurt this bad. out of all the video workouts I've tried I think this one can actually get me to my goal.

Please leave comments to let me know if anyone actually cares what I do with my time. or if my comments are helpful if you are deciding to do something with your life.
Stay tuned for day 5 run and day 4 INSANITY workout.

running game

today is day 3 of my goal to run 365 straight, I have a long way to go but I am making the most of it. besides running I have decided to also start the insanity work out video series. today is day 2 for insanity, As sweat is running down my face and my legs are about to give out Sean T decided to go another round. I am watching as his fitness professionals are dropping around him and I can't help but wonder, am I insane for doing insanity, I will know the answer if I survive the next 60 day of this.

Day 3 - 1 Mile - 14 minutes - My legs hurt like I'm back in basic training, the difference is when I was 19 I recovered a lot quicker. wish me luck.

operation run a mile - Day 2

day 2 1 mile time 14:17, today I felt better when running, I ran on my treadmill because today is 19 degrees in Milwaukee. I hope I can keep this up, today is day 2 I am pretty sure by day 9 or 10 the pain will start to kick in and then the true test will begin. can I make it a whole year running one mile everyday? we shall see soon enough. keep coming back to find out.

operation run a mile - Day 1

So today is January 1st of 2012, as I said early on in 2011 I wanted to run one mile everyday of 2012 and write about it. Today I did my first mile in a long time, I watched the packer defeat the lions and in Milwaukee Wisconsin in January I went out to do my first mile, It is cold and snowy and the wind is cold, my lungs don't like to suck in the cold air but I knew I could complete 4 laps on the track. I put a jacket on my dog and went out. 12 minutes or so later, my thighs are tight and my chest hurts. I just have to remember that round is not a shape I want to be. I hope this will get easier, come back tomorrow for day 2 and see if I survive the year.

Dark Woods Part 4

That night they slept peacefully and morning came just as expected with bright rays of sun passing through the blinds and waking them in the most worry free way. As Sam woke she realized that it was Saturday and reveled in the fact she didn’t have to go to school, she could smell the scent of breakfast coming from down stairs, “Pancakes” she exclaimed and she was off, running downstairs in her pajamas to enjoy the morning feast that she loves, when she got to the kitchen she saw the table was covered in delicious food, pancakes, sausage, syrup, hash browns and orange juice, but there was no one around, who made this Sam thought for a second, that was a quickly fleeting thought as she sat down and started to eat, her mom came out from the pantry with more syrup and asked “Where were you last night?” Sam finished chewing her food and said “the old house“, She knew her mom didn’t like her going to the house but she didn’t care she was at an age where she wanted to do what she pleased regardless of the consequences. Her mom scolded Sam as she always had about going to the old house, but she knew Sam wouldn’t listen and go there anyway. On the other side of the block it was a different morning for Jenny, she woke up to the sounds of her parents fighting and yelling again. Jenny’s parents were going through a rough patch and it has sparked all kinds of feelings inside some she didn’t understand and others, like the overwhelming feeling that her parents were over. Jenny just wanted a normal home, a warm breakfast, and someone to care about where she was and what she was doing, but that doesn’t always happen in these situations. Jenny woke up and decided she needed to get out of the house, so she walked over to Sam’s house where she was greeted with warm smell of buttery pancakes and peace and quiet it was a nice and much needed change from her current home life.
The day was just beginning and as the girls were deciding how they would spend their day they agreed to spend some more time at the house, since last night, something maybe curiosity, maybe something menacing, they didn’t know but it was drawing them there and they couldn’t explain it but they just knew they had to go back. The more they went to more they wanted to go. So they left after finishing breakfast and started to walk. Their need to go was strong and almost hypnotic, as they walked toward the house they could feel something, almost a force, pulling them, not sure if it was in there heads or something unnatural actually pulling them, they just kept walking. The trees around them seem to be lurking and watching, the animals were all gone and the birds at stopped chirping and chasing each other, it seemed that everything was watching and waiting to see what was going to happen next. As the girls got to the end of the driveway, Sam’s mom grabbed the girls from behind and said “oh no you don’t, get back to the house you have chores to do.” At that moment everything seemed to go back to normal. Jenny, Sam’s mom said, you can help if you want. Sam’s mom knew what was going on with Jenny’s family, although she tried not to show it. She would do things to help Jenny get out of going home. She would also call Jenny’s mom and let her know where she was. Cynthia was a good person like that and she always seemed to be there to get the girls out of trouble.

New Year

Its been awhile since my last post but I have had some very fun things happen, first my wife and I had a baby in june, that has been interesting, I have started back to school setting my life on a new path, and I have made another batch of wine.

Starting with the new year I have made a promise to work on myself this year, I need to get back in shape so I have decided to run 1 mile everyday of the year rain or shine and write about it here. I was inspired by a much better runner than I, who goes by the beer runner.

I will also be posting the next chapter to Dark Woods, the book I have been working on, very soon, I have some editing to do first. So come back soon and look for more exciting stories, as always please leave comments about what you like reading and what you don't this helps me know what content to write about.

Wheel Chair Ramp

So recently I decided to take on a community service project in my neighborhood, I have an elderly neighbor that fell and broke her hip during a recent ice storm in Wisconsin.
I talked to the local Home Depot store to see if I could get a donation of materials, and some volunteers. they approved the project.
I talked to the city see about permits and regulations, no permits were needed for a wheelchair ramp, but as far as regulations, ADA regulations had to be followed.

I will be writing more about this project as information comes in. I also had a friend video record the whole thing and I will be adding a video to this post in the near future after he finishes editing it. here are a few pics of the finished project.

This is a picture taken on the ramp.

Here is a picture of the front of my neighbors house with the ramp installed.

Here is a sunset picture over the ramp. the whole thing took 2 days, 12 people, 1600 in materials, and 6 Aleve.

Dark Woods Part 3

The two girls had lots of adventures together, they would run through the woods to their very favorite spot, an abandoned house that had burned down long ago there was a foundation that still remained.
This old house was said to be the first house in the town. The spot where the house stood was in a little clearing next to a peaceful stream that trickled and bubbled by.
The girls would come to this house and spend hours playing and joking and telling stories. They had been coming to this place since they could run from their parents, this was their place and only a few people ever ventured this far from where the town now stands. Their parents didn’t like them sneaking off and they got in trouble many times but something kept drawing them back to the old house.
One day on their way home from school they decided to take a detour, and ran to the old house, they ran through the woods like they always have, but this day when they got to the house something was different, they couldn’t explain but something didn’t feel the same, they tried to ignore it and played around the house as they always did.
A few hours went by when they noticed it was starting to get dark so they decided it was time to go home, as they started to walk home through the woods, they heard a shriek and some branches breaking. “What was that?” Jenny said, “I think it was tree branch falling in the woods.” Sam said, the girls got scared and wanted to get out of there quick so they started to run. The situation was tense and the girls were scared “let’s go” said Sam; we need to get out of here. Jenny looked back only for a moment and saw a figure in the woods, “I see something” Jenny said, “No you didn’t said Sam it’s just your imagination, let’s go home”. The two girls went to their homes without looking back again. They went to bed and waited for morning to come so they could talk about what they saw.

Dark Woods Part 2

In the town of Endeavour there was a girl named Samantha: blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and a very chipper personality.

Samantha was a queen in the eyes of her family, she was gifted in school and had a promising social life, and she was the chair of the school community outreach and president of the prom committee at Endeavour high school.

Sam was a junior and knew that she was talented and used it to her advantage; she talked boys into carrying her books, helping with homework, and all sorts of other stuff. On the outside she was a caring person who would stop and give change to a homeless person or help a lost puppy find its owner.

But on the inside she was dark, she had a secret that was carried in her, dormant, she didn’t even know what it was but she knew no one could ever find out.

Sam had very few friends, her best friend was jenny, she was a nice girl who liked to laugh and enjoyed living.

Jenny was quite and only hung out with Sam, Jenny was good in school and lived a simpler life, and she didn’t want to be the center of attention. It didn’t take much to make Jenny happy, she had parents who loved her deeply but had their own troubles and an older brother that looked after her but was shut away from the world, he stayed in his room and played video games mostly, but for Jenny things were ok and she was mostly happy.

yogurt commercial

PLAIN:

Plain was the same as it ever was the same.
Plainly plain…
Samely same…
But then… someone lit the flame.
Plain rode away on lion’s mane.
Where plain met fruits with strangely names.
Such wonderful things they did contain.
A shot of life to a hungry vein.
The captive beast who broke the chain.
And there upon that fruited plane,
is where plain became what plain became.
So much more than more than plain.
Plain will never be the same.



The ad is by Mullen Advertising of Boston (and Winston-Salem NC, NYC, and a few other places).

comment on what you think.

Dark Woods Part 1

It was a seemingly normal week in a town that never saw it coming.

There once was a quiet little town know to some as Endeavour, this town was a mere two thousand people most of which knew each other from the days when the community was largely farmers, grocery store keeps and a small newspaper, which was more like a weekly news letter talking about the world outside this small quiet little town, there were two people that collected information from the world and put it together for the town to skim over, it was tedious work but appreciated.
All the houses were old and barely stood, it was cloudy and dark a lot but that’s how the world works in Endeavour, its quiet, calm, and serene.
The town used to have a major road going through it, but when the Highway was built years ago people stopped passing through and the town began to dry up. There were two schools that housed all the students, one was a kindergarden through eighth grade the other was the high school. There are a few teachers that are dedicated to teaching but had been teaching there since God invented dirt.
Time in Endeavour goes a little slower and people move a little slower, and at times this place seems to stand still. Endeavour was a place that used to be filled with growth, and life, and promise but since the Highway the roads have been empty and half finished factories sit unused, hollow and only filled with sounds of birds flying and the gentle snow falling off the roof.
It snows for days up here and most people would leave as soon as they could, but the folks that stayed and live here enjoy the peace and quiet that Endeavour offers. Little did the people know that there was a lurking danger approaching....

gone for awhile

Hello, and welcome back
I have been out of touch with my blog for a while, thats how it is when someone works a lot, I have been writing a few short stories and soon those will be uploaded to my blog, I also have a few projects that I will be working on this winter at my house so please keep checking back for update. thanks for reading.