If you can't excel with talent, triumph with effort.
Dave Weinbaum, Businessman, writer and part-time stand-up comic
This quote is perfect for me! I have told people before that I am nobody special with no special physical abilities. BUT, I put in as much or more effort as anyone to prepare for and reach my goals.
We can't all be world class athletes. What we can do is give 100% whenever we set a goal, whatever that may be. Make it a great day.
Ryan
Goals are dreams with deadlines. Stop dreaming! I took control of my life and with the help of many wonderful people I was able to lose 135 pounds in 11 months. Set a goal, tell everyone who will listen, and stick to your plan. You can do it!!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Michelle and I spoke with a local charitable organization today about partnering together to help raise obesity awareness through prevention and education programs. I am really excited about it and hope that our story might make a difference for someone struggling with the same issues.
In August of 2009, I told Michelle that I felt like the reason I was losing the weight was for the benefit of someone other than myself and my family. When she asked who I thought it might be I told her I didn't know. I made a commitment at that time to continue to lead a healthy life and strive be a positive role model since I didn't know who it might be.
Maybe this is my purpose. Through education, maybe I can intervene in someone elses life before they reach that suffocating point of hopelessness that too many people are familiar with.
In August of 2009, I told Michelle that I felt like the reason I was losing the weight was for the benefit of someone other than myself and my family. When she asked who I thought it might be I told her I didn't know. I made a commitment at that time to continue to lead a healthy life and strive be a positive role model since I didn't know who it might be.
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| Hideaway Lake 2010 |
Friday, December 3, 2010
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.~ George Santayana
When I started my weight loss plan, I made a conscious decision not to take measurements or weekly pictures. The primary reason initially was so that when I failed and gave up I wouldn’t have memorialized the beginning of my failure. After some initial success, I told myself that I wanted this to be a forever change and not something that had a beginning and an end and still never took pictures or measurements.
The only measurement I can tell you for sure is that I lost 16 inches from my gut between June 2009 and October 2009 from measurements my doctor took. When I went in for my appointment in June, I had already lost 50 pounds and in October, I had lost 110. I have no idea what the true inches lost were by the time I got to 135 lost. I was wearing a XXXL shirt and pants with a 42-inch waist and a belly hanging over. Now I wear a M/L shirt and pants with a 30-inch waist.
What got me thinking about this was the Biggest Loser episode this week. During the challenge they had to strap on all the weight they had lost. They shed the weight they lost at each weigh-in over the course of the challenge which was 500 step ups and a 1 mile run. Each of the contestants kept saying how horrible it was and that they didn’t want to remember how big they were and how difficult it was being overweight. One guy said it was like strapping a 14 year old to your back, which I can relate to.
I feel quite the opposite. I want to remember EXACTLY what it was like as a constant reminder of why I don’t want to go back to that point in my life. So now I feel like I should have taken the pictures and measurements for that reminder as well as a way to celebrate my successes along the way. I have seen a number of video transformations that are very inspirational too. I saw this one today which prompted this post…. 266 One Year Anniversary .
I think I need to go through the pictures my family took during this time frame because I was normally taking our pictures and not in very many of them. These two are from June 2007 and February 2010....
The only measurement I can tell you for sure is that I lost 16 inches from my gut between June 2009 and October 2009 from measurements my doctor took. When I went in for my appointment in June, I had already lost 50 pounds and in October, I had lost 110. I have no idea what the true inches lost were by the time I got to 135 lost. I was wearing a XXXL shirt and pants with a 42-inch waist and a belly hanging over. Now I wear a M/L shirt and pants with a 30-inch waist.
What got me thinking about this was the Biggest Loser episode this week. During the challenge they had to strap on all the weight they had lost. They shed the weight they lost at each weigh-in over the course of the challenge which was 500 step ups and a 1 mile run. Each of the contestants kept saying how horrible it was and that they didn’t want to remember how big they were and how difficult it was being overweight. One guy said it was like strapping a 14 year old to your back, which I can relate to.
I think I need to go through the pictures my family took during this time frame because I was normally taking our pictures and not in very many of them. These two are from June 2007 and February 2010....
Original blog description
This was my original blog description. A little long but I wanted to memorialize it since I recently changed it....
"I should have started this about a year ago but I have saved lots of stuff to add. My goal here is to motivate others to achieve their goals, whatever they may be. Many people helped me along the way, and now I am trying to do my part to repay them for their support and words of encouragement."
"I should have started this about a year ago but I have saved lots of stuff to add. My goal here is to motivate others to achieve their goals, whatever they may be. Many people helped me along the way, and now I am trying to do my part to repay them for their support and words of encouragement."
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Skinny Runner's Weight Loss Tips
http://running.about.com/od/runningandweightloss/ss/skinnyrunners.htm
I came across this today and thought I would share. You don't have to be a runner to use the strategies they show. It's worth a look!!
Ryan
I came across this today and thought I would share. You don't have to be a runner to use the strategies they show. It's worth a look!!
Ryan
Another Winston Churchill gem!!
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." - -- Winston Churchill
I saw this today and wanted to get it down somewhere before I forgot it!!
I saw this today and wanted to get it down somewhere before I forgot it!!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Learning from failure [experience]
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure [experience]. ~General Colin Powell~
I saw this quote about a year ago and have had it in the back of my mind as I pursued my goals over the last year. The only thing I might change is the word failure. I would rather use the word ‘experience’. Everything we do adds valuable experience to call on that we can use to better ourselves in the future.
Our choice is how we use it. If you truly view your experience as a failure and give up, nothing is gained. I like to analyze my experience to discover what I might do better the next time.
One thing I learned from experience is that to reach my full potential I needed to make my goals public. In the past, I set goals and then never told anyone. This made it easier on me when I gave up or failed miserably because no one ever knew and I was not accountable. When I began getting in shape and eventually when I started running, I decided to change this. When Idaho Power put together the health fair video they gave me the opportunity to go and speak at the health fairs. At the end, I told the employees that one of my success factors was to set goals and tell everyone who would listen what they were because your friends and family will hold you accountable.
At the last one I attended, I told the group about my goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon in October. I also asked every person in the room to call me or send me an email on October 5th to see how I did. In May, I was about 20 minutes off my goal pace and had no idea if it was even possible. When I wanted to give up during training and even during the race I thought back to this day.
Had I not met my goal I still would have considered it a great success. The whole experience taught me a lot that day that I can use to improve next time.
1) Get in the starting line well before the start so I am not stuck in traffic early in the race.
2) Do not risk injury by running in the weeds on the side of the road to get around people.
3) Double knot my shoes so I do not have to stop and re-tie them at mile 15 (no brainer).
4) Do not settle in to someone else’s pace in front of me.
5) On race day trust your plan and trust your pace without second-guessing it.
6) When you want to give up keep pushing and be happy knowing you gave it everything you had regardless of the time on the clock when you cross the finish line.
7) Never let anyone tell you something is not possible.
I would like to thank Christie for getting me thinking about this, which reminded me to put it in writing. As a side note, a number of people from that health fair asked me if I met my goal in the week following the race. Being accountable worked.
I saw this quote about a year ago and have had it in the back of my mind as I pursued my goals over the last year. The only thing I might change is the word failure. I would rather use the word ‘experience’. Everything we do adds valuable experience to call on that we can use to better ourselves in the future.
Our choice is how we use it. If you truly view your experience as a failure and give up, nothing is gained. I like to analyze my experience to discover what I might do better the next time.
One thing I learned from experience is that to reach my full potential I needed to make my goals public. In the past, I set goals and then never told anyone. This made it easier on me when I gave up or failed miserably because no one ever knew and I was not accountable. When I began getting in shape and eventually when I started running, I decided to change this. When Idaho Power put together the health fair video they gave me the opportunity to go and speak at the health fairs. At the end, I told the employees that one of my success factors was to set goals and tell everyone who would listen what they were because your friends and family will hold you accountable.
At the last one I attended, I told the group about my goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon in October. I also asked every person in the room to call me or send me an email on October 5th to see how I did. In May, I was about 20 minutes off my goal pace and had no idea if it was even possible. When I wanted to give up during training and even during the race I thought back to this day.
Had I not met my goal I still would have considered it a great success. The whole experience taught me a lot that day that I can use to improve next time.
1) Get in the starting line well before the start so I am not stuck in traffic early in the race.
2) Do not risk injury by running in the weeds on the side of the road to get around people.
3) Double knot my shoes so I do not have to stop and re-tie them at mile 15 (no brainer).
4) Do not settle in to someone else’s pace in front of me.
5) On race day trust your plan and trust your pace without second-guessing it.
6) When you want to give up keep pushing and be happy knowing you gave it everything you had regardless of the time on the clock when you cross the finish line.
7) Never let anyone tell you something is not possible.
I would like to thank Christie for getting me thinking about this, which reminded me to put it in writing. As a side note, a number of people from that health fair asked me if I met my goal in the week following the race. Being accountable worked.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
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| November 6th, 2007 |
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Javelina Jundred with Sam
I had the opportunity to go down to Phoenix and run with my friend Sam while he was competing in the Javelina Jundred endurance race. I jumped in after the 3rd lap and ran with him for about 17 hours from 6pm to nearly 11am the next morning. It was a wonderful experience and I look forward to doing something this insane myself someday!! These are some of the pictures I took during the race that I was posting on Facebook for all of our friends back in Boise. I ended up running about 50 miles which was my longest run ever. Sam battled knee pain for over 80 miles and showed me what it takes to push yourself to the limit of physical endurance. I was proud to have been able to share this experience with him.
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| Start / Finish line |
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| A friendly snake along the way |
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| Sunshine Sam |
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| Just after the start of the race |
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| Enthusiastic Volunteers? |
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| Wonder Woman |
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| The Tin Man? (carried a cow bell over 15 miles) |
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| One Lap DOWN! |
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| Two Laps DOWN! |
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| Sunset just before the end of Lap 3 |
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