If You Rest, Rest Over There

Hour of 1000 Pushups

2009-07-30T10:00:00.003-04:00

Tried it yesterday and succeeded. Wasnt much of a struggle, it was hard in the end cause I was doing other workouts the first 30 minutes so there was a lot of time in between sets. Did it in 50's, it will be much cooler to just do 10 sets of 100 one day.

Ive started getting the lame duck treatment already from my Petty Officer and even some members of my family. They are suggesting I do something else. This leg thing is temporary, it will make me stronger and having it happen here instead of BUD/s is a benefit. It lets me learn how to overcome it.

Cant afford to go to the doctor though. My plan is to start weight training my quads and continue with my stationary bike every day as intense as I can to get that VO2 up...if only I could just run though. Its frustrating.

2009-07-18T20:45:00.003-04:00

So somethings up with my leg, to the point where my running is not a painfree activity. My main focus at the moment is getting my hip flexors to loosen the fuck up because its like my knee is getting pulled inwards now. Ive still not tested again because once I take it I keep taking it every two weeks. If this leg thing gets worse or requires attention and I miss a meeting or fail one because of it I can get dropped.

So, Im working on it. I absolutely cannot afford to go to a doctor at the moment, I am as broke as it gets.

But, my numbers are ready to go:

500 Yard with CSS: 9:33 (Minimum 12:30)
Pushups: 115 (minimum 42)
Situps: 90 (minimum 42)
Pullups: 20 (minimum 6)
1.5 Mile: ?????

Im currently 145, my heaviest around April was 162.

Myo-fascial release

2009-06-21T19:43:00.004-04:00

Its been a bit since I checked in.

Spent a week at Holden Beach, NC last week. I trained quite a bit there and was able to run quite a bit, but not pain free. At this point its certain that its just IT band issues and that brings me comfort. Ive had two deep tissue massages so far, and there is a big knot in my leg that refuses to go away. While searching for a cure, a google search gave me some good info and sums things up pretty well:

'If you want to know what happens to your IT band during repetitive exercise, try this experiment: Stand up and grab the top portion of the side seam of your pants leg, gathering the material and pulling it up an inch. See what this does to your pants right above and in front of your knee? The material pulls to the side and up your leg, throwing the pants off to the outside. Well, when the IT band becomes tight, it does the same thing to your knee joint. It tugs the knee joint to the side, forcing the joint to grind against itself and pull out of its normal alignment, and making it painful to use. Other than a deep tissue massage, the best way to lengthen out this IT Band again is to use a foam roller daily.'

Ive been rolling my leg out with a pizza roller, and the exact words Ive used to describe the knot is its a big speed bump. So when I read the next part it was nice to hear them use my exact words.

'As you foam roll along muscles and tissue, you will run into knots or areas where the muscle fibers have tightened up and actually started to bond together. You will know when you find them because each one will feel like a painful speed bump as you roll over it. At these points, try to sit directly on top of the tight area (still on the foam roller) and count to 20 slowly. Often, you will actually be able to feel the fibers gradually release and spread open. While on the foam roller, try your best to maintain deep, relaxing breaths while keeping the area/muscle being rolled completely relaxed.

Needless to say Im very much so willing to try these out. Turns out that there is a big list of them right where Ive been reading:

http://www.thesealquest.com/myorelease.htm

My weight: 150 lbs

A little bit under that. Im losing at a rate of two pounds a week. I got a bit hung up on 152 but 6-8 more pounds and I am satisfied, or will at least have accomplished what I was told to do.

Surges

2009-05-27T17:01:00.002-04:00

I think the things anyone looking at BUD/s fear collectively, or at least question their own ability to endure, are the same. Everyone knows what goes on there. The cold water, the sleep deprivation, and getting physically broken.

All I have to do is get in a warm shower and flip the water to its coldest. That sudden surge and panic, the feeling of your breath getting cut off, it is a quick reminder that there will never be any getting used to it. There is no science that says our bodies adapt to withstand the cold (Not true with heat), not much more than increasing cravings for fatty foods. The only thing I can do is learn how to react mentally.

As mentioned before, most of my mental conditioning in turbulent situations is from karate. There have absolutely been times in the last 15 years of my kumite training that I had surges of panic or fear with certain opponents for whatever reason. Maybe its realizing that you're tired and he is not, or that he has gotten in a lucky shot that took your air. You first question your ability or desire to go on, that inevitable, but the next execution is a surge of aggression that rushes through your body and fills your core with motion. It lets you drive on and perform. Not to be confused with anger, just a mass focus of willpower.

Its this mentally flux that I use for the cold tests. Sometimes I even envision the opponent that I have to drive into, covering a great distance to land solid and connected. Will this hold up day after day, or through Hell Week? How should I know?

But you have to have something to execute or else all that's left is the question of whether or not to keep going. You just cant leave something like that for your human mentality to decide.

One armed pushups, ridiculocity,

2009-05-22T12:50:00.002-04:00

I like ridiculous things, and after seeing the Rocky montage last night where he is doing one armed pushups I was like 'Hey why havent I been doing something that stupid?'

So I got on the ground and turns out I can do them, I can even do three finger ones. Gotta work up to the Bruce lee two finger ones.

Also, where can I get socks like these? If I can get them then I am going to grow a mustache and get old school basketball briefs to work out in, complete with headband. That will show those meatheads at Gold's Gym who have to scream and throw weights while Kelly Clarkson is playing on the loudspeakers. Dudes you're not impressing anyone.

No test on Tuesday

2009-05-21T11:59:00.003-04:00

Knee pain still here, havent ran since Saturday, so I bit the bullet and went to the doctor to find out what I could do to get a gait analysis done. Running used to be a painfree activity for me 2 years ago, then at some point I fractured my left foot and was out of running for a few months. Then when I returned to it, shin splints haunted me the entire year, extremely painful ones. Even up until January I was experiencing those fuckers, and it really delayed my progress. But they went away, and now that I was putting the heat on it to catch up I get knee pain.

All this tells me that Im just not running right. My form is great, I have bought books and filmed myself and compared it. But I have a feeling that something is up with my foot position, and its time to stop looking on the internet for answers and just get a sports analysis on it. After all, Ive got to get up to 50-60 miles a week, if there is a flaw then it needs to be identified now.

So my doctor has to write a script for me to go see the Physical Therapy people, he wont be in till Tuesday. I called my recruiter, and quite ashamedly told him the situation. There is no real way to do that without sounding like a pussy. Considering my failure on the last test, I have a feeling these guys are starting to think Im already a washout. Doesnt bother me at all, my mind is as focused as it gets, my body just needs to learn to cooperate.

We'll get there.

Failed first PST, have to lose weight

2009-05-19T21:40:00.005-04:00

I fail my first PST, but it wasnt on my swimming. I couldnt run. I blew out all my energy on the swim, did much better than I thought I would (as in I actually passed it) but I wasnt told my time.
I did okay on my PT part, but not nearly as good as the guys who have been on the boat crew a while. Some of them have been on for 11 months, and they were doing 100+ pushups and situps and 20+ pullups. Dont mind saying I was outclassed, its the truth.

But I was passing. When we started the run I felt fine, I was nervous but felt I had it. First two laps were 1:30 pace, but then fatigue swept in almost immediately after them. Started breathing way, way too hard, embarassingly hard. Cramps set in and, fail.

Was I ashamed? Sure. I was overconfident one second and pathetic the next. But fact is I had expected to fail on my swim to start with, I had been dreading that all the way up until I got in the pool. Then my familiar calm from karate settled in, its the same feeling before a sparring match. You are nervous to the point of dread, but then once you're up and bowing to your opponent it all goes away. I hadnt expected that ace in the hole, but I was well aware of it when it occured.

Dock Hooks is my motivator and he is a very cool guy. I kept my manners in check and my talking to a minimum around him, but he is a very open and casual man. He told me after my failed run that I should try and lose about 15 pounds, which isnt surprising considering most of the guys who had been there a while were completely cut up.

Knee pain
I ran, starting on Wednesday, with the firm intention of running every day between now and the next test. After three days pain in my left knee became apparent, and Sunday when I set out to run I took ten steps before realizing that was a bad idea. I took Sunday for rest, and when the same feeling stayed on Monday I went instead went to the stationary bike, and again today. Cross training is going to be the key here.

ASVAB Score - 93

2009-05-08T14:21:00.002-04:00

Alright, did the ASVAB Wednesday then spent all day at MEPS on Thursday. That was some shit, up at 3:30 and did medical tests and processing for 14 hours.

Good news is I popped a 93 on the asvab. I enlisted, so I am in now. All thats left is to get my seal contract, which means passing the PST. Good news is I have between now and January to pass the thing, but the sooner I can nail it the sooner my deploy date will be.

Today was my first day back from the sinus infection. Did my weights and PT, got in the pool and on my second flip turn BAM, blood started gushing from my nose. Thankfully no one saw, got out and went to the locker room. It bled two days ago, its that damn sinus infection still at it. So, being a public pool, my swimming was shot for today. I left out to the track for my jogging and sprinting. Didnt do too bad, not sure if it will be enough for Tuesday though.

Taking the ASVAB, lungs are ill

2009-05-05T20:53:00.003-04:00

I finally decided to get the ASVAB out of the way. I scheduled it last week, and then Saturday morning I woke up with fever and severe head pain. After suffering all weekend, knowing full well its a sinus infection, I went to the doctor and got on my antibiotics. Mucinex is an amazing medicine, it turned me from not being able to breath with intense sinus pressure to clear and tolerable in an hour.

After doing the first battery of paperwork today for four hours, I am left feeling conflicted. I am low on money and had to pay for a substitute teacher to teach my lessons, and any time money is tight I get very uptight about everything, its like having a period. So when they told me my PST would be a week from today, as opposed to three weeks like I was told last week, I am freaking. I cant breathe. I tried a little cardio today just to see how messed up my lungs are, and it was a joke, my heart was racing almost immediately.

I was worried when they told me three weeks, to be honest. I immediately went out and started doing sprints, I planned out a sprint regime for the next few weeks because my air is the key to my swimming, thats the only issue. When I hit that perfect heart rate, I can do my 500 yards, but if it spikes then I am fucked. I've felt that feeling. I do not think its going to be humanly possible to pass in a week, but I am going to try. Going to the gym first thing tomorrow and going to see if I can use my lungs, even a bit, and try to coax them into letting me run.

Mainly, I simply dont want to embarass myself. If I go out there and cant do half the things I am supposed to do, I am worried that everyone from the recruiters to the motivators are going to think I am full of it. Although, the recruiters did say today 'If you're sick, you're sick'. At least there is that level of understanding.

Food

2009-04-10T14:39:00.000-04:00

Its hard to eat enough. Thats the truth, I dont like food THAT much. But it helps to just have it ready to eat because if its not right within my grasp then chances are I'll put off eating or just forget to.

Now more than ever I'm consciously keeping count of my calories to make sure Im at least getting 3000 a day. Now fitting this in with my emphasis on running is hard, because I rise early but I prefer to run at about noon. I love running when its hot and having the sun beam down. But eat the wrong thing at the wrong time and the whole thing goes to hell.

Spent two hours cooking 5 meals. This contains rice, potato, tuna/blackbean burger with pepperjack and sweet and sour sauce on top, noodles with curry sauce, and grilled salmon. Im approximating that each one of these is about 800 to 1000 calories but it might be wishful thinking. Total cost was about 16 bucks, thankfully carbs are inexpensive.

PST Goals

2009-04-04T15:46:00.003-04:00

10:30 500 Meter Swim (Im not going to get much better than that without a teacher)
15-20 Pull up
90-100 Pushup
90-100 Situp
9:00-9:30 1.5 Mile

The problem is that I fluctuate so much. I havent been able to depend on any abilities. For example, about a month ago I swam twice as far underwater than ever before, out of no where, and now today I couldnt even make it one length. Some days I dominate my PT's, but then I'll have a day like today where Im fully rested but my numbers are all way down.

Still struggling a ton with my swimming. Part of me says give up on the CSS and just go for breast stroke, but I really want to have the CSS down before going in. I'd rather be struggling with it on my own time than to struggle with it on the Navy's time.

No video's!

2009-04-01T13:25:00.002-04:00

Not until I fix the very silly mistakes I make! The video's did reassure me that Im not as far off as I thought, in fact the things Im doing wrong are simple to fix (I am assuming).

Working on my running...after reading Total Immersion I picked up ChiRunning because the author had recommended it. Going for my first run after reading it today, we'll see if it helps.

OIympus 1030

2009-03-30T21:50:00.003-04:00

Tess and I split cost on a underwater camera. This way I can see my stroke and fix my mistakes easier, up until now its been hard to tell what was going wrong.

Its a very noisy camera, but so far we have only taken photo/video's at night, hopefully more light will fix the problem. The video's are definitely good enough though.

Going to go get some serious shots and video tomorrow.

Progress Photo's

2009-03-28T14:53:00.002-04:00

I meant to do a better job of taking progress photo's, but I never remember to or I dont think theres been enough progress! But here is my February one and I' l l try for April.

6 Months

2009-03-28T14:33:00.003-04:00

Its been 6 months since I began my training just to qualify for BUD/s. I started at 144 pounds, now I usually stay at 156. But body composition is quite different.

The first physical challenge I had to overcome was getting PRK surgery. I was a long way from being eligible with my 20/600 vision. Now my eyes are 20/20 to 20/30 depending on the day and if my eyes aren't dry from chlorine. My father helped me pay for the very expensive ($4200) procedure, without that none of this would be possible.

I am writing this so that years from now I can have a detailed account from beginning to end to share with others who have the same intentions that I do now. I hope that my assumption of success is not going to be ironic.