a post short ride report

Things seem to have finally calmed down & is returning to normal. I'm back to
work after having 2 out of 3 weeks off & I start my IM training program for IMAZ
Sat. Ah, the joy & comfort I find in training. It's my time of stress relief,
when I clear my head, find focus, & do my best thinking.
A quick update on things & an explanation as to why I've not been up to date on
my blog. A month ago I found out my favorite aunt has an incurable form of
cancer. Shortly after we received info that my Mom & Step-Dad has cancer also.
When it rains it pours let me tell ya. Last year I lost an Aunt to pancreas
cancer. I'm getting pretty sick of the C word.

This week I got news that my Moms operation last week to remove the cancer seems
successful. My Dad has had emphysema for years now. Turns out there are 2 kinds
his cancer could be. A fast acting cancer in which all they could do is give him
radiation to try & slow it as much as possible because he's not healthy enough
to undergo surgery or any other aggressive form of treatment. Or a slow acting cancer which the Dr.'s would do nothing for because the Emphysema would kill him first. Turns out the it's the 2nd kind. We're relieved. I got word Thanksgiving week that my aunts cancer can probably
be put in remission with Chemo. The type of cancer she has usually stays in
remission for 1-3 years. Her type of cancer has been put into remission in other
people who has had this form of cancer up to 3 times. So that means we'd still
have 3-9 years w/ her. But now, come to find out the DR's have found 3 aneurysms
in her brain that need to be operated on. It's a pretty extensive operation so
they plan on fixing only one aneurysm at a time w/ around 6 months recovery per
operation. First one is scheduled for Jan. Enough of the depressing crap.

Now to the fun stuff. My Ride to Hobbs went perfectly. I left my house in Santa
Fe on Monday @ am. It was around 30 degrees out & clear. The first 40 miles to
Clines Corners were slightly up hill. I averaged 10 miles an hour there. It had warmed up enough by the time I'd gotten to Cines that I was able to remove
all my cold weather gear. I ate a 6" subway sandwich @ Clines Corners, refilled
my Gatorade & was on my way. After Clines the wind turned to my back & the
entire rest of the way to Vaughn NM. I rarely rode below 20 miles an hour from
there. In Encino NM the speed limit was 25 MPH & I was doing 31 when a state cop
drove by me going the opposite direction. I was SO hoping I'd get a speeding
ticket on my bike! I would of made a copy of my ticket & framed that sucker! It
would of been proof that the State believes I'm just too dang fast on my bike.
To bad the Silverman didn't think so. Lol. He didn't give me a ticket but I sure
got a few looks. I don't think they see many cyclists around there. I arrived at
Vaughn NM @ 2;30 p.m.. 7 hrs of riding & 115 miles down. When the lady at the
hotel desk asked for my car's license plate # I proudly proclaimed I rode my
bike from Santa Fe She didn't believe me. She even went as far as to walk to the hotel parking lot & look for my vehicle.

The next day I left @ 7 am. 15 miles outside of Vaughn my rear tire got a huge
blister on it. It was 1 inch wide & 1.5 inches long, it puffed out from the tire
about an inch. Very crazy looking. The blister or bubble if you will was so big
my tire wouldn't roll because the bubble was too large to fit through the tire
well. I was forced to pop it & see if my tube was affected. Thankfully the tube
was not leaking after the bubble was popped but there was now a 1X1.5 inch long
area where the rubber was no longer covering the tires Kevlar. I was able to
ride on the tire the way it was for another 5 miles before I flatted. When I put
in my new tube I folded up 2 one dollar bills & placed the bills in between the
tube & the bare area on my tire in hopes that I could provide some extra
protection. It worked! I rode 75 miles on my tire like that. FROM Vaughn NM to
Roswell there are no gas stations or anything else to buy supplies. Just a 90
mile stretch of road with one rest stop 52 miles outside of Vaughn. So I packed powdered Gatorade & enough Hammer bars to last the entire ride from Vaughn to the rest Roswell. By the time I got to the rest area I'd been out of Gatorade for about an hour & a half. I
was pretty thirsty! I filled up my 4 bike bottles with my powdered Gatorade &
water from the water fountain & did my best at rehydrate myself. The rest of
the way into Roswell was great. Peaceful. Nothing but me & the road.
I stayed @ the comfort 8 motel there in Roswell. My wife & 2 children met me
there. The hotel had a pool so that night I played w/ my kids in the water. By
the time it was bedtime my kids seemed as tired as I was. Great way to end a
wonderful day.

Wed morning I awoke to my legs feeling slightly stiff and sore. Plus my mouth
was really dry. Although I did my best to hydrate last night I was unable to do
it. I ate a quick continental breakfast kissed the family & shot out
the door. Destination Hobbs NM. 120 miles.
From Roswell to Caprock (about 40-45 miles) is slightly uphill. The wind was HOWLING right in my face the entire way there. It was slow going. I only averaged 10 miles an hour.
After Caprock it was a slight downhill to Tatum NM but that dang wind got even
worse & was still blowing in my face the entire time. I only averaged 12 MPH
from Caprock to Tatum. Once I hit Tatum the temperature dropped quite a bit. The
big snow storm that NM was expecting was dropping the temps & making the wind my
mortal enemy. My feet were so cold they felt like blocks of ice. @ Tatum I got
some duct tape from the Town & Country & wrapped the tape all around my shoes to cover the areas that had holes in hopes of keeping the wind out & the heat in. Although from
experience I know that is pretty affective the temperatures just kept dropping
so it didn't feel like it helped. From Tatum to Lovington was pretty uneventful.
The wind died down a bit but the temps continued to plummet. By the time I got
to Lovington it was well below freezing & I was pretty much miserable. Because of the wind blowing in my face the entire way I had made really slow time. I was in
danger of not making Hobbs by dark. Felt like Silverman all over again. Half way from Lovington to Hobbs it became to dark to see & I was forced to call my wife to come pick me up. By the time she got to me I was only 10 miles from the Hobbs city limits. When I got into
the van I seemed to have a case of hypothermia. My body was shaking horribly &
uncontrollably. Add that to the fact that I had missed my goal of making the
entire trip unsupported, I was not a happy camper.

The next day was Thanksgiving & I awoke w/ a stomach flue. I couldn't keep
anything at all down. The storm had hit during the night & had dumped 2 inches of snow
on the ground. So you know what I did? I forced my wife to drive me to the place
where I got picked up so I could ride in the rest of the way. I couldn't say I
had ridden my bike to Hobbs if I didn't ride in that last 10 miles. My wife was
FURIOUS with me because I was sick & it was dangerous from the snow on the ground. It took me 2 hrs to make that last 10 miles because I kept having to stop to puke & I took a spill twice on my bike. But dang it I made it!

By Sat morning I was feeling much better. My legs were still a little stiff & I had a good sized scab on the right side of my nose from getting such bad wind
burn. Other than that I was ok. I knew I still needed to rest to recover from my
ride & sickness but I had told all you peeps I was going to do a tour de stade
of Hobbs high & I couldn't make a liar out of myself. So I drove to the high
school stadium, jumped a fence to get in & did my tour de stade. Very
anti-climactic!!! I was bored 10 minutes into it. How can I ride for 20 hrs 15
minutes in 3 days with nothing to look at but empty plains & not be bored once,
but 10 minutes on the stairs I was bored out of my mind? I forced myself to
finish then went back to my Aunts house to partake in some more Thanksgiving
turkey.

For any weight watchers out there Thanksgiving week I earned 115 activity
points!

Well thanks for tuning in. Sorry I've been out of contact for so long. Hope all u Peeps had a great
Thanksgiving. Peace!

So Much More Than a GuardI AM A CORRECTIONAL PROFESSIONAL

So Much More Than a Guard
Submitted Anonymously

I am a PERSON
I am young and old, tall and short, man and woman, and I am of all faiths
I am a father, mother, brother and sister, I am a son and a daughter, and I am a single parent
I am from all parts of this great country and I am a citizen of my community
I wear a uniform, I maintain the highest standards and I represent my agency
I see things that hurt my soul and damage my spirit, but I maintain hope
I lead by example and I am a good and decent human being
I have a family of loved ones at home and a family of partners at work
I feel, I care, I rejoice. I am a PERSON
I am a WORKER
I am well-trained and part of a GOOD TEAM
I work with men, women and youthful offenders; I work with many cultures, races and faiths
I work evenings, nights and weekends, holidays and birthdays
I stand a post, man a tower, carry a gun, I transport, search and move offenders
I train staff, write policy, maintain standards and keep safety high
I supervise good people and hold my partners accountable
I maintain buildings, locks, vehicles, radios, phones, computers, fences and weapons
I work behind the scenes in cramped offices to make sure the ship keeps running smooth
I am sometimes verbally and physically abused, yet I maintain my professionalism
I accept my work is stressful, and I maintain my honor.
I am a WORKER
I am a PROVIDER
I provide good food, clean clothes, and I provide Protection
I provide education, vocation, work skills and opportunity
I provide GED, reading, writing and math classes, and recreation
I provide medical, dental and vision care, I provide hospice care and dignity
I provide re-enter opportunities, legal access and religious programs, I provide hope
I provide mental health, substance abuse and anger treatment
I provide a bed, a roof, warmth and food.
I am a PROVIDER
I am PROTECTOR
I keep offenders safe while sleeping, working, resting and playing
I supervise parolees and offenders in community corrections and ISP
I provide suicide watch to protect people from themselves
I control contraband and maintain facility and public safety
I control access, I keep offenders in and others out
I protect offenders, partners, visitors and volunteers from harm
I protect the public, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year–all day, every day.
I PROTECT Them, Us and YOU

I do what I do because I serve my community, my agency, my state and my country.
I am a Person, a Worker, a Provider and a Protector.
I am not a guard. I am your Correctional Professional.

weekly weight, & the IMAZ

I weighed in this morning at 236.8. 20 lbs lighter than my Iron debacle. Slow but steady progress is the name of the game for me this year. Last week I had 115 Activity points on weight watchers on-line.

I registered for the IMAZ in Nov 08 & the 08 Kona lottery. Around $650 total. What the heck was I thinking? Spent a ton of cash on only one race, & some more cash on a slim chance of a race. Oh the life of a broke triathlete.

I'll try & post tomorrow on how my 340 mile 3 day bike went.

Dave Scott & my weekly weight

My diet was going great until today. I didn't cheat today on purpose, but I did cheat today. It was my B-day today & my wife cooked me a Turkey dinner. I earned 10 activity points this morning purposely for my B-day dinner. Plus I still had 21 weekly flex points I could use tonight. So I felt I could have a little stuffing, yams, and a piece of chocolate cake (ONLY 5pts for a piece of cake!). I ate a turkey leg assuming that the dark meat would be about double the points of the white. WRONG! The turkey leg was 27 flipping points! That used up my Activity & flex points plus put me 19 points over. Lesson learned! But I'm going on a 3 day 350 mile bike starting in the morning so I'll just pretend the extra calories were to prepare my body for my ride.

Weekly weight loss update:
Activity pts earned 40.
Activity pts used: 18
weekly points used 39.5 (all of them)
total points over or under for the week: 19 points over :( All of the over pts was used today :(
Weight: 242.4 lbs down43 to go!


I got a great B-day present today. Michael Lovato wrote me & wished me better luck on my next Iron & to keep my chin up. I didn't email him & advise him about my Iron. He remembered from our conversation at the sept Harvest Moon triathlon. He then took the time to hunt me down & find out how I did, & to tell me better luck next time. I thought that was pretty dang considerate! Very classy person.

I got to meet Dave scott at the Silverman. that was probably the highlight of the weekend.

Weight watchers first week

I joined weight Wathchers online Tue 11-13 to start my weight loss & Iron goals. I'm really enjoying the way weight watchers online works. I'm given a certain amount of points that I can eat each day. I'm finding there are allot of ways I can fulfill cravings & hunger by eating snacks that have very low "points". My favorite so far is red & yellow peppers w/ salsa. I use the strips of peppers like a potato chip. I ate 2 cups of spinach yesterday w/ dinner & it was 0 points. I think the foods I'm finding that are low points are also nutrient dense.

I can earn more points in a day by exercising. 2 days ago I got really hungry midday but had used up allot of points early & didn't want to go hungry during dinner. So I decided to go for a 1 hr 40 min bike. I got back & typed in my workout, viola, I had earned enough Activity Points to eat an entire extra meal! Hopefully I'll be able to succeed on this weight loss plan. I have a good feeling about this plan so far.

Monday I leave for my 3 day 350 mile bike ride to Hobbs. In my best calculation I'm going to earn 45 activity points each day I ride. To put that in perspective I am limited to 38 points each day without earning any extra activity points. I'll be FEASTING each day of my bike trip. I also plan on running all the stairs of the Hobbs High school football stadium on Thanksgiving so I'll be able to eat well on Thanksgiving day.

My first day joining WW I weighed in at 256. I weighed in this evening at 244. Keep in mind I didn't weigh in in the morning when I'd be lightest. Good news overall.

My ideas for my off season

Now that my official training time is over I'm supposed to take time off. I have some wonderfull ideas for what I'm going to do before I start up training for the Redman in a week or 2. On Mon Nov 19th my wife & I are leaving from our house in santa Fe to Hobbs where we are going to spend Thanksgiving w/ my family.

1) The first thing I'm going to do w/ my time off of scheduled training is ride to Hobbs on my bike. It's 350 miles that I'll do in a 3 day ride.

2) The second thing I plan on doing is 3 tour de stades. A "tour dé stade" is the running of all step columns up and down in any given stadium. The first one I'm going to tour is the Hobbs high football stadium. Once I get home from Hobbs I plan on doing a Tour de stade of the Santa Fe high stadium & the University of New Mexico' stadium.

Ah, the fun of the off season!

On a side note, the weight watchers system I just started is set up so we can earn extra food by exercising. I think on the days I do a 350 mile bike ride & on the days I do my 3 separate Tour de stade I'll be eating well :)

Post DNF thoughts

Well I got pulled from the Silverman bike course @ 3:45pm on mile 89. If I'd of been allowed to continue riding to the bike finish I would of missed the cutoff by 30-45 minutes. I'm not going to offer any excuses. I DNF'd. In my mind I see 2 types of people who deal w/ failure in completely different ways.
1) the types who become sour from failure & quit.
2) The type who use it as a learning tool to better themselves.
I want to be in the 2nd category of people. Failure is NOT what separates those two types of people. How they deal with the failure is. Those walls are placed in front of all of us from time to time. Sometimes it's a little set back, sometimes it's large crushing failure. Those walls are there to separate those who are willing to give up & those who are willing to overcome. I really want to continue to work towards the Iron goal. I'm going to use this DNF as a tool. This is an opportunity for me.

When people pray for bravery God doesn't automatically make them courageous. He puts them in a situation where they can be brave.

When people pray for patience God doesn't automatically make them patient. He puts them in a situation to use patience.

I kept asking God to make me fast for the silverman. I prayed over & over again for him to help me complete the Silverman before the cut off time. The fact is he helps those who help themselves. I went into this Iron 21lbs over my normal race weight & 48 lbs over what I should of been trying an Iron at. I asked for speed & endurance. I knew I needed to lose 57lbs to get fast & have great endurance. I have now been given the wake up call now to accomplish just that. It's up to me weather I will quit or come back stronger...... I will be back again better prepared & lighter.

I weighed in at 256 lbs yesterday (11-13-07). Before Silverman I weighed in at 248. After my DNF I turned to food for comfort like I have a tendency to do. ALLOT of food for ALLOT of needed comfort. 8 lbs worth of comfort in a day in a half. Ouch. When they say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas they are lying. The weight didn't stay in Vegas.

Yesterday I started my goal of losing weight so that I can become an Ironman, so that i can be healthier, & to be a better husband & father. I joined weight watchers online yesterday. Like I said, I weighed in at 256lbs. My goal is 199lbs. I need to lose 57 lbs in 10 months. I will use this blog as a training log towards my goals of losing 57 lbs & becoming an Ironman.

I also want to thank all of you for your encouragement & support. Your kind thoughts & words hepled lift me up when I had fallen. I may never be able to express how much that meant to me or much you all helped me pick myself up & dust myself off. I promise each of you I will try to pass it on to others in the hopes that I can make them feel as supported and loved as you all made me feel. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.

My first DNF

I DNF'd at Silverman. I was 30-45 minutes shy of the bike cut off. I'll post more on this later today.

Pre-Silverman Thoughts.....

Well I got to Boulder City Nv yesterday. Got our RV & set it up about a mile away from the swim start. I'd forgotten that Las Vegas was in a valley & that the surrounding area was so dang hilly! Down right mountainous. I can see now that the Silverman web site wasn't exaggerating on the difficulty of the course. I plan on driving the course today to get a feel of what to expect.
My cold hasn't gotten any better. It's no worse, but not better yet either.
Sore scratchy throat, a little weak, a cough, & coughing up a ton of crap. I'm not worried about that though. I have the heart & will power to grind my way through pain & fatigue. As long as my body is capable of getting me to to the finish line in the 18 hr cut off range, my heart can push my body there in under 17 hrs.
It's funny walking around with all these skinny triathlete's having the same goal as me here I am built more like an offensive lineman. I never get intimidated. It's just not a feeling I get often. But I have been feeling...... unworthy. I feel deep down that I will accomplish this Iron dream of mine on Sunday. But I get a little humiliate when a skinny tri guy & I get into a conversation about the upcoming race. They inevatably give my ample frame the once over whith a slight look of surprise & doubt. I'm to the point where I'm just getting my prerace stuff done without much conversation because I don't want to have to defend myself anymore with the usual funny comments of "I may be large, but this big guy can move!" or "I've put in more than enough training miles. Don't let my matabolism fool you." I know I have never felt the amount of pain that someone feels who is discriminated against because of the color of their skin. But I can definately relate. I now know what it's like to be judged by my outside shell rather than what I am able to acomlpish. I just want to quietly get registered, get to the start line & proove myself by my actions. I have never wanted to do well in a multisport so badly. I want to get my finishers medal & know I proved their knee jerk opinion of me DEAD WRONG! There are only 4 people in my division & I would love to be able to walk up & get my top 3 award, turn around with my head held high & let all those who doubted the fat guy know.....I AM IRONMAN!

sick & leaving....Tonight!

Well guys & gals I'm leaving for Navada tonight at 10pm. We're leaving at night in hopes that our children will sleep most of the way there.

I got sick today. But I don't feel bad. Just a cough & sore throat. Throat is pretty sore, but overall I'm not bad. I'll let you guys know how Sunday goes as soon as I get near a computer that has internet acsess. Peace Peeps!

Equipment check list

Equipment check list
LAP TOP
SWIM GEAR
Goggles
wet suit
Triathlon singlet
Or tri top
TRI BOTTOM!!!!
Sunblock
Towel
Sweat pants
Wind breaker

RUN EQUIPMENT
race number holder
Gloves (if cold)
Shoes
Running cap
Energy gels

BIKE EQUIPMENT
Bike pump
Hash pipe
Tape
HR monitor
Helmet
Shoes
Socks
Bottles
Sports drink
Tire changing pack
Extra tire
Chamois cream
CO-2 cartridges & tubes
Bike
Wheels
Extra set of wheels

T-3 BAG
Pants
Shirt
Socks/under wear
Deodorant
Tooth brush
Tooth paste
Cologne

MISC. EQUIPMENT
LAP TOP
Alarm clock
Phone charger
Phone
USAT card
Wallet
Proof of insurance
Proof of registration
CD's
tom-tom
address to race
Address to hotel/RV park
Camera
Lounge chairs
tarp
Tent
bed roll
Sleeping bags
Extra blankets
Pillow
Extra pillow

some pics, & examples of why I need to lose weight, a patriotic u tube, & the Silverman

Here I was at 285 shortly after I married my dream woman. Feb 03 I actually got to 300 lbs!
275lbs w/ my best buddy & his baby girl @ my wife & my wedding. Can someone say "pass me the cake!"
And she's the biggest reason I really want to stay thin. My gorgous wife! I don't want us to be like Beauty & the Shreck anymore.

The picture above is back when I was 220lbs (28 lbs ago) & where I'd like to be again by the March 08 Stealth duathlon.

First thing first. My Dad sent me a U tube. I thought it was worth sharing. Very patriotic.
www.youtube.com/v/QZFkZiwMLZ4 There aren't enough patriots anymore.

Well I'm ready for my Ironman. I really wish it were time. I've never felt the taper blues as badly as I am now. Pretty fierce! If my taper blues has anything to do with how well I'll do at the Silverman, than I'll smoke that course! I'm pretty exited about a little something. I just found out there are only 4 people in my division. that's a %75 chance of placing top 3 in my first Ironman ever!!! I couldn't even imagine how cool it would be to take top 3 in the hardest Iron in the World!!!!

I'm really exited about Nov 13th. that's the day I am going to start weight watchers online for men. S. Baboo has had some pretty great results. I've always been able to crack the whip once I get to a point where I am disgusted with myself. But for whatever reason as soon as I get near to my goal weight I start packing it back on like I'm preparing for hibernation. I'll keep my fingers crossed, but keep my fat clothes in storage just in case.

Sometimes a person can gain muscle & loose fat, so the scale can be deceiving. So that I can keep realistic track of my gains (or losses if my plan is successful) I took measurements of myself today. Yes, I know. Not exactly the measurements of a triathlete. But hey, self loathing seems to be my best motivator. I'm definitely at that disgusted point right now. So I know for a fact I'll be getting great gains for awhile. But can I keep it off? That's going to be the BIG question.

Weight 248lbs Or 112.5 Kg for my metric buddy Sub 6.

Quads 31.5 inches/ 80.1 cm

Hips or butt, whatever I should call that measurement. 49.5 inches/ 125.73 cm, yup, I got some junk in the trunk. Baby's got back.

stomach 46.5 inches/ 118.11cm. Oh gosh, you have got to be kidding me.

Chest 43.75 inches/ 111.1cm. Not upset about that one!

Arms 16.75 inches/ 42.5 cm. If I could walk around showing off ONLY my chest & arms my self esteem would be great.

I figure I'll post my results every week. Stay tuned for my great success story!

On a non-triathlon subjuect, I do find my wife irresistible. I can't help it. But my wife told me last night she thinks she needs to take a pregnancy test. My son is only 2.5 months old. Oh Lord, what have I done?

A sick baby & a ground fighting triathlete

This is my buddy. He's a gifted athlete who's not right in the head. LOL.

-I got home from work @ 6 this morning to hear my baby daughter crying in her
room. That's unusual because shes a great sleeper. When I entered her room she
looked up @ me with tears streaked down her cheeks & said "Daddy!" w/ arms
raised. Turns out she got sick last night. I will never get tired of rescuing
her from even the smallest of things. I love trying to be her Hero! I bent down
& picked up my most precious little girl held her against my chest as I carried
her to the couch. There's nothing worse than when I see her sick. Perhaps some
triathletes would worry about getting sick 10 days away from the biggest race of
their tri career thus far. But what will ALWAYS mean the most to me is my little
Princess. Man I feel horrible for her, it's Halloween & she was invited to a
party where there would be a bunch of other little ones-none quite as cute as
mine though:) Now she's got to stay home. Now that she is 2 she usually never
stops moving. But today I got to cuddle w/ her all day. I love having a Daddy's girl. But I sure hate it when she's sick. I'd gladly take her place whether the
Silverman is in less than 2 weeks or not.

Speaking of Irons, surprisingly w/ only 10 days until what is known as the most
grueling Iron in the world I'm not nervous @ all. My wife & I have got
everything planned out. We rented a 29 foot RV & will be staying at a RV park on
lake Mead less than 2 miles from the race start. I'm looking foreword to it.

Another thing I'm REALLY looking foreword to is my plans to lose weight after
the Silverman. I have the motivation, the support, & a reasonable plan.

Seems like some things just seem to work out perfectly @ times. My buddy & I
are always challenging each other to do things that take us out of our comfort
zone. Not the traditional guy things like drinking & such. Things that usually
better each other. Such as triathlons & multiple day hikes through mountains
neither of us had ever been to.

2 days ago he called me up & issued a challenge to me. Dec of next year (2008) he
wants us to do Grapplers Quest. That is a multiple day tournament for Jui Jitsu &
submission grappling. Actually Grapplers Quest is the West Coast Championships.
Of course like any good friend I agreed, all be it reluctantly There is good
news & bad news about me agreeing to do that. The bad news for me is that I'll have to
start grappling again, & that takes time to train for. Time is the one thing I
have least of @ this time in my life. The majority of my spare time I'll be
training for multi-sport. But I'll need to put in some time on the matts or risk
getting humiliated, beat the heck up, & hurt. Multisport is my true love. But
truth be known Grappling was my first love. I just kind of fell into Jui Jitsu
abut 4 years ago, but I got pretty good very quickly. After only 18 months I
placed 2nd in my 1st tournament. Then after my 1st triathlon I stopped training
for ground combat & never looked back. The good news about choosing to do this
is that there are weight classes in ground fighting tournaments. So its VERY
important that I drop down to about about 199 lbs by next Nov & then I'll cut another 10
lbs right before the tournaments (more on cutting weight later). That is ironic
because no more than a week before my buddy asked me to do this I had posted a
goal on my blog to get below 200 lbs By Dec of next year.
Perfect timing & extra motivation indeed! I'm weighing in right now @ 248 lbs
right now. If the tournaments were today I'd be fighting as a super heavyweight
which is 225 lbs & above. I'd prefer not to have to tangle w/ the big boys. My
goal is to get to 199 lbs & then cut 10 lbs before my competition. Cutting
weight sucks. If you've never done it it essentially means I'll restrict food &
water for a couple days before my official weigh in, in the hopes of being able
to fight in a lower weight class. If the day of my weigh in I still need to cut
more weight than I'll have to sit in a steam room to lose that last bit of water
weight. I'm hoping to fight in the 179-189 lb category in the Gee division, 179-189 no-gee, & in the absolute division. 3 divisions total. Most people usually only choose one division, but hey I'm an endurance athlete. My theory is that this will actually help my triathloning because light is fast! I'll let u know how the training goes. I start grappling again the first week in Dec.
Thanks for tuning in. Peace!