Chasing Wyatt

Consolidating Again

2010-03-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

One of the things that I've noticed as I've tried to maintain more than one blog is that my life feels compartmentalized; I'm only allowed to speak of certain things in certain places. It feels like a self-imposed restriction akin to never talking about religion or politics. These are my blogs with my thoughts, so I should feel free to speak of whatever comes to mind: Wyatt, family, God, pain, suffering, joy, fitness, guitar, whatever...right?

So, while in actuality I will not stop "chasing Wyatt" I'm going to roll everything over to www.lostdogman.blogspot.com. Wyatt will be there, Bethany will be there, and I will be there...out of the little compartments and free to discuss anything and everything I may be experiencing. See you there!

What I've Learned from Inactivity

2010-02-26T06:52:00.000-08:00

On July 15, 2009, I turned 39 years old and completed my 39by39 challenge, which in terms of the numbers was a failure, but in terms of building strength and fitness was a definite winner. On Aug. 18, the day after returning from a long trip to and from Colorado, I stood up, felt a sharp pinch in my low back and thus started a 5 + month battle with what turned out to be a back problem.

What have I learned from being inactive for most of this time as a 39 year old who really wants to be able to chase his son?

I have learned...

...that the spine apparently starts to degenerate sooner than knees and shoulders. My PT indicated the spinal column often can start showing signs of wear and tear by the late teens.
...that I wasn't crazy to think I need to be working on corrective exercises, but I didn't know everything I needed to correct...kinda like having more than one blind spot, which of course, you can't see, so you just don't know it is there.
...that moving is a gift, and I hope to keep rehabbing myself to the point that I can move freely again without aggravating my back.
...that degenerative (sp?) and bulging discs are not my friends...they are my sworn enemies.
...that my wife is awesome...I already knew it, but she had to do so much more when I was hurting, and I'm grateful for her.
...that I want to eat when I am in pain. I wanted to really try Eat-Stop-Eat with the intermittent fasting (aka taking breaks from eating), but would feel so agitated physically sometimes that food would help the agitation. That being said, I'm amazed I weighed in at 206 yesterday, which is actually lower than when this whole back issue started. Eat-Stop-Eat worked great when I wasn't in pain and would actually follow it. If the pain stays away I hope to try it again. There is something freeing about taking 24 hours to NOT stuff my face.
...that I'm not giving up, and I love the way I trained last year during my challenge, but will have to modify and move slowly into things...Duh!
...that I'm going to be 40 this July, haven't been able to really work out for six months now, and have felt like a crazy person during many steps of the journey, but feel I understand what goes on in my body in a way that I couldn't without the injury.
...that being able to pick up my son without feeling like I was prison shanked in the kidney is pretty sweet.
...that I hate pain; really I hate pain, but am grateful that it tells you something is wrong.

Proof...Kinda...He Moves Too Fast for a Slow Digital Camera

2010-02-13T09:46:00.000-08:00

"I'm Walking, Yes Indeed..."

2010-02-11T13:18:00.000-08:00

Around 10 1/2 months Wyatt took a couple steps that I surmised would be the beginning of a quick ascent into the world of the upright walkers. Well, it was delayed quite a while. Aside from a couple other Texas two steps around his birthday, he was pretty content with crawling. I guess that all changed on Feb. 2. Since then, he has gleefully joined his parents in walking on two feet whenever he feels like it. It probably doesn't hurt that every time he does so, the ovation he receives is usually only reserved for our favorite artists or when I'm watching LeBron James score 24 straight points or watching Fedor Emelianenko throw a monster knockout punch.

Much like the Patterson film which purports to show a female Bigfoot somewhere between 6'5" and 7'3" I'm sure some will remain unbelievers, but I'll show my Wyatt walking pics (and vid if I can get it to work here) just to offer my proof to the whole world.

Woops, OK, so those pics aren't downloaded yet. In the meantime, you'll have to settle for proof that the boy is just ridiculously fun to be around.

How's that for proof? I think that should answer the questions of the skeptics. Now, for the walking pics?! I'll get on that soon...promises, promises!

Wyatt is Walking!

2010-02-11T04:11:00.001-08:00

Wyatt is officially, definitely, repeatedly, consistently walking...I'll get some pics up as soon as I can for proof...and if blogspot even lets me add video anymore, I'll try to add that too!

"...Is Anybody Out There?"

2010-01-30T13:24:00.000-08:00

In 1983, the world was introduced to the princes (too young to be kings at the time) of pop metal, aka Def Leppard, with the album Pyromania. Although it was their 3rd album, it was their first monster hit, and if not for Michael Jackson's Thriller, could have spent significant time at #1 on the album charts. They released three singles from the album; Photograph, Rock of Ages and Foolin', the last of which was driven by the question "Is anybody out there? Anybody there? Does anybody wonder? Anybody care?"

Being that I know there are some that care and some that wonder, I'm left with the first two questions in regard to my blog readers here..."is anybody out there? Anybody there?" When you don't write but once a month people probably won't check in much, so it's tempting just to let this thing die, but how can I let a blog named after my boy die?

So, to update our life story for now, here we go; Wyatt is over 1 year old now (by just a week) and while not officially walking, will walk behind anything he can push around. He has taken a couple steps free hand about three times now, but seems pretty content pushing stuff. He laughs a lot, shakes his butt to music, and has learned how to wave, and often does so if he ever hears "bye, bye." Needless to say, he's awesome and I love him. Bethany and I continue to work and watch Wyatt. I usually work mornings and she works afternoons, so Wyatt's "babysitters" are us. Daycare someday? Maybe, but for now, we're enjoying just being with him this much...even if lately it includes a lot less sleep than we want (he is resisting his naps sometimes).

Myself? I've been doing physical therapy, hanging on an inversion table, and have gotten one cortisone injection, which I didn't realize actually required anesthesia...gotta admit, that anesthesia is "happy medicine." I'm recovering from the back problems gradually, but am finally without nagging pain, and for the most part move without a stabbing pain (5 months since it first happened...not what I would wish for). So, I am hopeful...finally! For a while, I thought about packing it in and just saying "I'll be the Dad who can't do anything." I don't believe it anymore...there is a lot of Chasing Wyatt to do; it is just taking a long detour and while unwelcome probably allowed me a chance to sit and write more than I would have otherwise.

I did complete a book proposal and sent it off to an agent last weekend, so I'm praying something good comes out of it...if you feel like praying with me, you won't make me mad. If I had my wish, I would write books, play guitar, and be a husband and Dad (...guess I should say son, grandson, an son-in-law if I want to account for all my roles in my immediate family).

Of course, the world would be terribly empty without some pics of Wyatt, so here is your taste for this month (not promising anything more because I'd be going against my pathetic track record of keeping up with this!).

The shirt says Guns 'n Roses: Sweet Child of Mine...appropriate!

This is his 1st birthday cake...he's showing a little skin to avoid the mess, but barely made a mess. He was a little tired by this point. He doesn't like sleeping when family and friends are around, so he wouldn't nap before his party.

This is the little rocker at the zoo...both sets of grandparents and his uncle and potentially future aunt (looking good on all counts there) all went along for the fun too.

Here's hoping that Chasing Wyatt the actual activity continues to be possible even if Chasing Wyatt the blog, has been a little slow in developing. I think I've been hesitant to write partially because it gets old saying "my back and butt hurt. I can't do much, so I don't." So, now I'm feeling better, and maybe that will change a lot...hoping so!

Hangin' In

2009-12-16T15:12:00.000-08:00

OK, even after thinking I would put something up two weeks ago, I haven't. I have at least 2.5 million excuses give or take one or two. I've been going to physical therapy for the past two weeks, and am feeling better, but still haven't gotten the disc problems to completely resolve. The good news is that the PT feels confident we are heading in the right direction. I'm starting to feel better about it also; like there is hope.

One reason I haven't been writing here much is that I've been working on a book proposal to submit about being adopted, being a new Dad, and how Wyatt has impacted my view of God. If you've spent anytime at my other blog, you'll get the vibe of what that looks like. So, that has taken most of my focus and hope to submit it soon.

In the meantime, Wyatt is 10 1/2 months old and is nearly walking...so close. I hope I can get a pic up. I've been trying to upload and it's not working. I'll work on it and see what I can do!

UPDATE! I was able to get the pics up!

Update...Finally!

2009-11-06T08:39:00.001-08:00

Pain does interesting things to me. I tend to want to isolate, be left alone, and just “be” when I’m experiencing a lot of pain. Aside from spending time with my wife and son, that isolation pretty much encompasses the last two weeks. Officially, I have a protruding disc in my lumbar spine (between 1 and 2 or 2 and 3; forgot) and a degenerative disc in the middle of my back (no wonder that’s where I always felt pain there). The pain meds work some, but they don’t eliminate the pain, and the problem isn’t fixed yet. I can’t truly train anyone right now, since I can’t demonstrate exercises.

So, thanks to a little encouragement from Jackie, I’m busting out of my self-imposed shell and getting back to Chasing Wyatt. Since I’m not able to exercise or offer any insight into the world of fitness right now, I’ll refer you to my “other blog” for some of my thoughts on Wyatt. One of the best things about being a dad is that I feel like Wyatt has been my best practical theology lesson…I see God differently, especially in how he cares for me (even when I’m in pain).

I created a whole series of posts discussing Wyatt, God, and how it has impacted me HERE.

That is probably the best place to start. It’s funny how losing some of my physical ability for a season reminds me that there has to be more to us than just our looks or physical fitness. I have no promise of perfect health, but I do have a promise that God will never leave me, nor forsake me, and I’m pretty much in need of knowing that right now.

Good news…I’m still hovering around the low 200’s on my weight. I’m still doing the intermittent fasting, and am doing it today. Mostly I’ve been getting in 1 day per week, but this week, I’m trying two days of fasting.

I'll try to get a video of Wyatt up later today too!

PAIN!

2009-10-19T13:15:00.000-07:00

I had grand plans to post consistently. Here's why I haven't. Oct. 9, I went to an orthopedist and it appears that I probably have a disc issue in my low back. Since I was put on Prednisone to reduce the swelling, I just ate normally since I was supposed to take the medication with food. It was a six day cycle.

Today, I'm back to a fasting day. This is about the only thing I can post about, since I'm borderline incapacitated. I walk like I'm several decades older and I'm in spasm enough that my torso is shifting laterally! Frustrating. I'm going to get an MRI when we can get it scheduled. Not looking forward to that bill!

So, what I am trying to do? If I can't work out, there has to be a way that I keep from watching my weight go up and up. I didn't weigh in this morning, but last night I was 203. Considering I just got off a steroid which has a reputation for helping people gain weight, I wasn't too disappointed.

If I keep my head in a good place, I'll try to give a running commentary on how intermittent fasting (IF) goes, especially with this injury. I feel like a broken record, but hopefully, I'll stop talking and actually start writing about it. We'll see.

However, I can tell you that one of the things I do like about IF is that I don't have to worry about what I'm going to eat, because I'm not eating for 22-24 hours. Honestly, it just sometimes feels good to not always be consumed with what I'm consuming next. More to come.

Good, Bad, and Ugly...Hope I Didn't Use That Title Already

2009-10-05T17:10:00.000-07:00

The good is Wyatt is growing and moving and being hilarious with his growling as he crawls. The bad is my butt still hurts, and the ugly is the way I walk when it does. The good news is that I'm finding Eat Stop Eat to be a pretty good fit for my life.

So, if I can't really give a full effort on workouts, what am I gonna do here? I'm going to a orthopedist next week, and I don't want to wait to do something valuable here until I feel better, so I am thinking about journaling about my experience with doing the intermittent fasting 1 or 2 days a week.

Also, I've been thinking about sharing my thoughts on fitness ideas that I like (with or without a messed up hip). If I get my act in gear I've even thought about putting some demonstrations on here, but we'll see. I'm not even sure if I get to keep my leg! Just kidding, but I am hoping for some headway next week on the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex pain (gratuitous use of fancy fitness terminology will hopefully be kept to a minimum, but I just gotta drop something in here every now in then so people believe I actually am certified).

Losing Weight without Working Out

2009-09-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

OK, here is what is going on for me without being able to workout. I'm down to 200 lbs., but that is due to a planned fast over a couple weeks (juice from fresh fruits and water only...actually made it down to 197). Prolonged fasts are obviously found in the Bible (Jesus fasted for 40 days), but there is also a newer philosophy that I've been reading about recently and am going to try.

At www.eatstopeat.com you can read about intermittant fasting. Basically, ESE (Eat Stop Eat) recommends doing a 24 hour fast one or two times a week, which if you are familiar with current philosophies of eating goes against the "eat every three hours or your metabolism will crash" idea. Good news, studies have shown people have fasted for 72 hours straight without a metabolism crash, and there is a significant benefit to insulin regulation, along with human growth hormone release, and fat utilization during a 24 hour fast.

Since I haven't been able to consistently workout aside from some push-ups and pull-ups, I'm test running this to see how it works. I'm planning on two days a week. Basic idea is this. Create a calorie deficit and you lose weight. Instead of being an obsessive compulsive eater, you take 1-2 fast days to reduce calorie intake. That's about the only true "rule" there is.

I'll let everyone know how it goes.

Sorry!

2009-09-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry there isn't anything new. I am still dealing with the pain in my butt...more hip now. Somedays it is better, and somedays it is awful. B and I agreed, I'm going to the doc next week if I don't get some relief soon. I thought I would be able to do more than I am, but mostly I'll do the random pull-ups and push-ups just to do something.

In the meantime, here is Wyatt!

Mobility Matters

2009-09-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

So, I still have the Shot in the Buttocks syndrome, although not as bad, so I'm not following the BodyFitBurn routines yet. I was excited to get the first one Monday, just to see what they came up with. I like it. The email delivery worked fine, although it did show up as spam. I have to reset that. They gave 3 exercises to perform in 15 minutes, which doesn't sound like a lot. Oh, but it is. Just looking at it, I know it would a challenge. Good news though for those that look at the work out and say "I can't do that exercise"....they have modifications. If you can't do a pull-up, you perform a band pull-down. Easy enough. The format looked good to me, and easy to follow, so at least I know they are trying to make it as simple as possible to follow.

As for me, I've been working on alignment and corrective exercises, since I think that is part of what is going on for me right now. While it isn't completely healed, I'm not giving up on it yet. Since I don't mind giving props to trainers and routines that I like, I will throw out this little resource...Magnificent Mobility at http://www.magnificentmobility.com/. I know when the page comes up, you think "sales pitch." Yeah, it is. They are selling a mobility DVD/e-book, and I'm not an affiliate (I would tell you if I was, and I would still have the same opinion of it if I was). I don't have the DVD, but do have the e-book (wait, unless I do have the DVD, but forgot where I put it).

I've used some of the mobility exercises here and there over the course of the last couple of years. Honestly, it always makes me feel better, but I have been inconsistent with it. The best thing about the exericses is that they emphasize early on trying to get the hips and low back to disengage a little bit. When I perform some of the rotational movement my whole back feels better; not just where the hip/low back pain is located. Still longing for relief, so I'm going to take a few minutes and get to work on some of the exercises right now.

As a demonstration of mobility...here, of course, is our master demonstrator, Wyatt.

Addendum to Previous Post

2009-09-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

Motivation matters too. Just watch Wyatt go after his bottle. He just needed a little encouragement and a little help from Dad.

Definitely Not Junk Email

2009-09-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

Today, I got an email from the guys from BodyFitBurn regarding their free bodyweight, computer generated, you never know what's coming until the workout arrives, sent straight to your email or RSS, no excuses, fitness challenge. When I stop playing Forrest Gump (see previous post), I'm gonna try to jump in and try this. They said everything should be up and running by next Monday.

Sign up here, and you will get a 25 page start up manual to give you a better idea of their training philosophy. I have to say I like it. They do make suggestions on a few pieces of affordable (that's true, not just a statement) equipment, which thankfully I own both the Jungle Gym and the Bodylastics band set...see I knew trying new stuff out would save in the long run.

Pain in My...Err, Um...Butt

2009-09-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

I literally have a bad pain in my butt. Since the long drives on vacation, I've been battling an ache that starts in my low back and down into the upper glute. Not my favorite feeling. I feel like Forrest Gump, like somebody shot me in the buttocks! Stupid, stupid long car rides!

The working out has been hindered, but the plan is to gradually ease out the pain. The YRG workout is probably going to be the route for the rest of the week and next, and see how it works itself out. If it doesn't then I'll be hitting up the chiropractor or a massage therapist. We'll see.

I gotta keep my motivation going, even with the little hiccup here. I'm not sure how much I'll have to share while I'm in the middle of this, butt (I mean but) I'll try to keep posting if I have some huge revelation about creating the Forrest Gump Shot in the Buttocks Workout (yours, of course, for only $19.99).

Giddy-up

2009-08-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

Well, here he goes! I need to get back to working on the Power Wheel Crawls again if he's going to go "all-terrain" on me already!

B and I just got doing another 20 min. YRG workout (see previous post), and that has felt awesome on my back and hips...I think that needs to continue.

Our Little Version of Usain Bolt

2009-08-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks provided a large enough window to provide our family with our own version of Usain Bolt's 9.58 in the 100m and 19.19 in the 200m (both .11 seconds better than his previous records). Wyatt is now...you know it's coming...he's crawling! Our wood (faux actually) floor provides us with some hilarious moments of watching his arms and legs flail around trying to gain traction. Even so, he is getting the hang of it, and getting it quickly. Today he crawled from the middle of the family room to the kitchen and to the pantry, just before he tried to steal the keys to the car and motor out into the garage. Just getting ready for the teenage years I guess.

Why do I sound so fascinated? Maybe because he is on the upside to finding his physical peak? Maybe because watching him reminds me that life is precious? Maybe because I just flat out adore him? Maybe they are all true?

At church the other day, he was a little antsy, which is actually unusual for him in church. I think he usually is just jamming out during worship time, thinking "this is cool, I wanna play guitar!" and then spends the rest of the time people watching, who are people that are probably watching him too. He draws quite a crowd. Well, anyway, he was antsy this past Sunday, so I took him out in the hallway and he was greeted by a 2 year old girl named Jade who was fascinated with him also. I guess my son is fascinating. If you don't think he is, just keep it to yourself, I don't want to hear it!

As Jade kept trying to hand him his pacifier, I let Wyatt crawl around on a padded bench. As he pushed himself up into a bridge, I would grab his legs, lift them up and he would support his body with his arms. So, basically, he is doing a suspended plank (in the up part of the push-up position), to which got a few oohs and ahhs from some ladies in the area. "He's so strong!" "Wow!" You get the picture. At seven months old, moments like this make me feel like I'm not Mr.-overly-proud-to-the-point-of-obnoxiousness-Dad (which I fully realize is a possibility).

So, what how does this fit with my quest of "chasing Wyatt"? When I watch the basic movements that he is able to perform, it always reminds me that mobility, the freedom to move, is a gift, and I want to be able to move as much as possible. I'm not a big fan of the Eastern metaphysical bent that most Yoga classes lean toward, I recognize the value in flexibility and strength and know it is challenging. A friend of mine referred me to Yoga for Regular Guys a couple years, and never really did try it, but today, B and I got it out in the family room, and listened to Diamond Dallas Page (yeah, the professional wrestler dude) lead us through 20 minutes of pain. For someone who hasn't tried it, 20 minutes is surprisingly tough. I knew it would be, but man, we were shaking and...it was was great. I think Wyatt might have had an easier time with some of the holds than we did, which is probably why we were doing it! We think he's growing fast...almost as fast as Usain Bolt runs.

Acting Like a Dork at 10,000 Feet Above Sea Level

2009-08-19T16:48:00.000-07:00

For your viewing pleasure; acting like a dork at 10,000 feet above sea level.

King of the Ladies...I Mean King of Excuses

2009-08-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

Since I started a theme this week with 80s metal, I might as well continue the tradition. The band Extreme was known primarily for their hit "More Than Words" a very well written, yet ultra-sappy acoustic ballad that was not representative of most of their work. Nuno Bettencourt, guitar player, is one of those players who can play numerous styles, but is mostly a rock/funk/shred guy. Fans of eclectic rock and roll will love their 2008 comeback album "Saudades de Rock" as you will hear Queen style rock from the 70s, straight up blues rock, funk, and even a country rock vibe on "Take Us Alive." Not a straight up 80s rock vibe for sure.

If you check out their MySpace page, you can sample 5 of their newest tunes. One the songs, King of the Ladies, is a hilarious take on the old adage "if I knew back then." It's tongue in cheek with plenty of references to the 80s, which will probably only be humorous to those who survived that decade whether scathed or unscathed.

I could lie and say I would be the King of the Ladies, but honestly I'm a better fit with the title King of Excuses (that and I only want to be king to one lady...aka "B", my lovely wife). I've got a lot of them (excuses that is), and I found out over the course of my life that if I make things extremely complex, and set the bar ridiculously high, I could guarantee myself an excuse to fail. Thankfully, a little seasoning, a dash of wisdom, and a little bit of frustration stirred up in the right amount can help. So, I try to keep things simple and remember that I don't have to be Superman. If I miss some workouts, like I did this week, I can find ways to take advantage of 15 minutes.

As I type, the clock says 5:25pm. Between 4:50 and 5:05, with Wyatt lying on the floor blissfully playing with a few toys and "E" trying to imitate my workout, I picked two exercises and performed 5 reps back and forth until I did 100 of each.

100 Hindu Push-ups
100 Hindu Squats

If I'm a Christian, do I need to rename those and wear a WWJD bracelet while I do them? Nah, just playing.

If you are looking for an interesting challenge coming up shortly, you may want to try BodyFitBurn, which is a FREE Online Bodyweight Challenge. They haven't officially started it, but you can pre-register to have workout notices sent to your email or by RSS. Check it out. They are only supposed to be about 15 minutes long. It takes away the possibility of being the King of Excuses. Now for being King of the Ladies? I guess it is better than being Comfortably Dumb?

Oh yeah, we'll be hanging out in Colorado for about a week, so if I post again before Aug. 18 it will be a borderline miracle, but at least I'll be doing some short, intense 15 minutes workouts to maximize my chill time!

Don't Know What You Got...

2009-08-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

If I say Cinderalla what pops in your head? Do you get all warm and fuzzy inside thinking about the story of the mistreated step sister who eventually gets to wear the glass slipper? What about the scene of Jim Valvano running around the basketball court looking for someone to give him a hug after his NC State Wolfpack upset the heavily favored Houston Cougars (aka Phi Slamma Jamma with Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon) 54-52 to win the 1983 NCAA championships? If you are like me, a child of the glorious era of 1980s hair metal, you might instantly start banging your head as you conjure up visions of the teased hair and screechy, bluesy vocals that are the band Cinderalla. So, to steal a line written by lead singer and guitar player Tom Keifer, “you don’t know what you got…til it’s gone.”

What’s gone? Mobility, flexibility, range of motion, strength; you name it. Since filming my two Wyatt videos for the last post I’ve been a little overzealous in using the video camera, bordering on obsession. I’ve gotta show the world what this kid is doing! In watching him move, I’m aware of the things that I’ve lost. Of course, I’m trying to regain much of what was lost, but seeing him moving around the floor reminds me how things that used to be easy have now become challenging. Wyatt holds the superman pose and extends his body freely without much difficulty. Of course he gets tired, but he holds his head up and apparently looks around like “this ain’t no big thing” (to steal a line from another 80s hair metal staple, Lita Ford…think I’m developing a theme here). He can pull his feet up to his mouth. While I have no desire to suck my toe or anyone elses (I'm no Tanner P on the Bachelorette 5), I admire his flexibility and remember when I could press my chin down to my knees. I could go on an on, but I think my point is clear. You really don’t know what you got until it’s gone.

Clichés become clichés for a reason. The number of people who have lost their previous level of health, whether in terms of strength, flexibility, or balance, all understand a little better what exactly they used to possess when faced with the reality of their present physical condition. That's why I'm able to steal a cliché phrase regarding lost love and apply it to fitness...in both cases, often you don't know what you got til it's gone! The other day I received a vision of the future...Arnold Schwarzenegger came back in time...wait, wrong story. I took "E" (see picture of her at Chik-fil-a) to the Emerald Rainbow in Bulverde, TX to play on the inflatable playland. I think I played as much as she did, as I was a little disappointed every time she took a break from the air filled obstacle courses. Visions of bringing Wyatt here in a couple years filled my mind and as I climbed, crawled, slid, and jumped, I realized what was once gone has been found again. Not only in terms of skills, but attitude. I wanna go back to Emerald Rainbow and play...play with Wyatt, play like a kid, and play like their is no tomorrow. Oh yeah, by the way Jade, Wyatt's already coming after your 7 minute plank record!

Wyatt's Mad Skills

2009-07-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

Wyatt is already performing the Prone Iso-Ab, Plank, or whatever you want to call it. When I first tried the plank, I thought I was going to have an aneurysm, which unless the docs have missed something that thankfully didn’t occur. Watching Wyatt learn new skills and movements challenges me. I watch his kicks, arm flails, planks, mini-push-ups, etc. and wonder why the excitement that he demonstrates wears off as we get older. Why don’t we always get a rush from learning something new which leads us to look around as if to say “is Daddy watching this?”

Wyatt often pushes himself up, hits the top position, looks over at me, smiles with a huge smile, drops back down, and does the same thing over and over. He’s excited. He’s not concerned with whether he has a six-pack (unless he’s not sharing something with me), nor does he seem to be concerned whether his form is picture perfect. He’s just excited that he did something new. The past several months have taught me many, many things. One of which is that if I am learning something new, that probably means I won’t be very good at it to start out with. Pride, or insecurity, or both have kept me from trying things that are risky, or more accurately, things that I might look foolish trying if I fail. Guess what? Nobody seemed to care that I couldn’t do a beautifully perfect Burpee with a 360 degree rotating twist at the top (never tried that by the way). Most of the things I have learned and begun to perfect initially were attempted at lower levels of intensity and with modifications (that means I had the training wheels on so to speak). If I couldn’t perform an exercise, I modified it and used something that would prepare me for the next progression.

There is a quote that I’ve often heard people use and it goes a little something like this: “I’m sure of two things in life: #1 there is a God, and #2 I’m not him.” I’ve found that to be true in numerous settings and circumstances, and fitness is one of them. I am not self-sustaining, all-powerful, or any of the "non-transferable" characteristics of God, so that means I will have to learn through process, gradually adding to what was learned before. Wyatt gives me another picture of this. He isn’t crawling, but he can do the modification necessary to eventually perform a crawl. He can hold himself on all fours or in a plank. He isn’t skipping any steps along the way, and while he does sometime wish he could move a little faster along that path, he still keeps doing what he can until he gets there. I love that a 27.3 inch long, 17.63 lb. boy that shares my DNA is a visible reminder of what it looks like to be human, and to learn, and be excited about it.

A Little Twist

2009-07-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

For two + weeks, we are keeping our friends' 3 year old (as of next week) daughter. This is the #1 reason for not posting. Not her, but the combo of my boy and her. Two kids is definitely an increase in energy expenditure and provides plenty of excuses to veg out when down time comes.

So, what is in store? Two major things: 1) I'm going to try intermittent fasting (or intermittent feeding if that sounds too scary) as a method in changing things up with diet. You can check out the idea here, and 2) I'm going to do the 12 week military TRX workout. I used to have a TRX, but it broke, so I'm going to use my Jungle Gym strap system instead. Also, I'm gonna try a little vertical jump training.

Maybe I need to set my goal as touching the rim again by age 40. That would be pretty impressive wouldn't it? A 5'9" 40-year old with gray hair in his goatee jumping up and hanging on the rim. Who knows? There's gonna be some goal out there. Honestly, I've just kept working out and enjoying that I just had a birthday, so I'll refocus some more in the next couple weeks.

Wyatt is now moving into the prep phase for crawling. He's gone from the perpetual Superman position on the floor to thinking I gotta get on the ball and get moving a little more. Funny thing is that he could hold the Superman pose longer than me, which just proves the point that I gotta get busy to make sure I can keep up with that little booger!

Post to Come

2009-07-22T02:56:00.001-07:00

All I gotta say is it is early...4:56am and I don't wanna work...just wanna bang on the drums all day (or play guitar). We are caring for our friends' 3 year old (in one week) daughter for the next 2 1/2 weeks, before we leave on a lengthy car trip from SA to Colorado.

What am I saying? I don't know it is early, but there will be a post to come. Mostly, I'm figuring out what the next steps are after not losing 39 lbs. by my 39th birthday. I think I have some clarity...I think!