Happy New Year!!!!

Our days are decided in the first 15 minutes after we wake up every day.  If we wake up in a bad mood, then that will transcend into the rest of the day.  On the other hand, wake up bright and cheery, and odds are the day will be pretty great.  This just means that every day we wake up, the first thing we rise to is a decision.  How do we want our day to play out?

Personally, I try my very best to make a decision for it to be good each day.  I've never had a "bad day" that I've enjoyed.  Today was one of those days that I chose to have a great day and man, did it ever pan out.

Carri and I woke up to a pretty gloomy day.  It was starting to rain and the temperature was dropping.  We woke up and had a great breakfast of BELT's (bacon, egg, lettuce and tomato sandwiches.)  After that we went to the gym for our weekend workout which was awesome!  After a 2.5 mile run 4 miles on the bike, we went home and got ready for the rest of our day.

We went out to Brandon, SD today to look at places to have our wedding reception! We found a gorgeous location that overlooked an absolutely spectacular golf course.  It has everything that we could ever want; a beautiful dance floor, room for up to 300 people, scenic views of almost the entire front 9, a fish pond right outside the back door, a large patio for people to enjoy the day outside if they choose, and all at a very reasonable price.  I never could have imagined anything more perfect, especially for our first place that we looked at!

Now it's time for the evening and only time will tell where New Years Eve takes us.  It's time to celebrate the end to a wonderful year and the start of a new one that will bring many new beginnings.  2011 has come and gone like a hurricane and left a ton of great memories in it's wake.  Tonight is the night to be with friends and enjoy the last minutes of the year with the ones we love.

I know a lot of people that seem to constantly be in a bad mood.  Their days are never going well, they don't enjoy anything about what's happening in their lives, and they want everyone around them to know it.  If you're one of those people I challenge you to try with everything you have to choose for it to be different starting tomorrow morning.  It's the first day of 2012 and it's time for a change.  No one can do it for you, only you have the power to change; and it starts with a simple decision right when you wake up.

I hope everyone has a fantastic night and rings in the new year in a way they'll never forget.  Every day is a gift. May you have many more to share with your friends and family.  Let's make 2012 something to remember.  Stay safe, have a ton of fun, make good decisions, but most of all, enjoy everything about being given the gift to enjoy another year of Improbable Madness!

Burning Out in the Madness

Twenty-four hours of work in two days makes it a little tough to stay motivated to get to the gym.  I decided that I'd take the past two days off since the last thing I wanted to do after work was train.  Up until February when my training begins fully, I will be taking work days off.  It's important to keep a good pace and not burn ourselves out when starting to train for something.

I have found that in the past that's what happens.  I think it happens with a lot of people too, especially around this time of year.  We decide that we're going to make a change for the new year and get in shape and start out fantastically.  We go to the gym almost every day at first, pushing ourselves to the limit.  Then, after a couple of weeks, we go one or two less days because we're tired and not as motivated since we're past the new year.  Eventually most of us rarely go or just stop going at all.

Well, it's important to keep in mind why we're doing what we're doing.  My resolution is not "to get in shape."  It is to set and follow through and complete a major goal.  Today, I will get back to the gym after two days off.  I'm not sore like I was for the last 48 hours, I'm re-energized from a good night of sleep, and I'm ready to go!

I wanted to run outside this morning but I woke up to a gloomy and rainy day so I'm just going to wait for my fiancé to get off work and we'll go together.  Tomorrow I'll be running outside with her and my dog so that I have a variety in the training.  It needs to stay fun and exciting so that I may stay interested and motivated.

Just remember, if you're trying to get in shape in 2012, or whatever resolution you have for that matter, to always remember how you felt when you set your goal.  Try not to burn yourself out in the first couple of weeks and always find new and interesting ways to stay motivated.  It's a long journey so don't get discouraged if you don't see results overnight.  Personally, I imagine every day what it's going to feel like when I finally cross that finish line and can say that I did something I set out to do 6 months prior.  That is what keeps me motivated to stay strong and keep pushing despite all of the improbable madness.

 

New Years Resolutions!

Congratulations everyone! We made it through the holidays and hopefully only gained a few pounds.  Hopefully everyone got to spend some time with our families, be thankful for what we have, and got everything they wanted for Christmas.  Now it's time to get down to business.  New Years is THIS WEEKEND and it's time for those infamous new years resolutions.

Since training officially starts in February, I figured I should probably have some sort of fitness level before I begin.  I got my shoes and workout clothes ready.  I'm using the Brooks Adrenaline training shoes as they seem to have always done the best for me in the past.  If there's one thing I've learned, it's a good pair of shoes are just as, if not more, important as a good training schedule.

I went to the gym yesterday for a good cardio workout for the first time in a few weeks.  I thought I'd get a baseline of my fitness level and was actually pleasantly surprised.  You probably can't tell from the look of sheer joy on my face

 in this picture but the holiday season doesn't seem to have taken as much of a toll on me as I thought.

I ran for 20 minutes and did 2 miles.  The first three minutes were a walking warm-up.  I'm happy with a 9 minute mile right now.  After that, it was 15 minutes on the bike followed by 10 minutes on the elliptical.  Eventually I will be doing much more than this but I figured it's probably best to start off slow with a good baseline.  Afterwards, I did a few minutes of stretching and went home.  All in all a pretty good day for the first day back but I know I'll have to step it up if I hope to reach my goals.

I felt amazing after my workout.  I didn't realize how much I missed going to the gym.  I really think this is going to be a great experience.  The gym was empty, which is understandable, but I know it will be picking up soon.  Those New Years Resolutions are coming this weekend and I'm sure there's many people out there that are going to "get back in shape in 2012."

I truly hope that some of the ones that make this their goal follow through.  It's a rewarding experience that not only is fun, but also extremely important for our health.  We need to keep in mind that we're only here for a short period of time.  Working out, staying in shape, eating healthy, all are things that are not just good for you but are also a gift to our loved ones.

I'm going back for another cardio workout tonight and am going to push it a little harder to get a real idea of where I stand.  I'm really excited to share my experience with you and I'm thankful for everyone that has been reading this, this year.  My New Years Resolution is to follow through on my goals and do what I say I'm going to do no matter what.  It isn't going to be easy, but with a little perseverance, determination, and willpower, I know that 2012 will not be the end of the world like many have predicted, but a beginning to a new chapter in my life of improbable madness.

A Merry Christmas To All

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you had a great holiday weekend.  Carri, Gizmo, and I had a wonderful Christmas and can't wait to spend many more holidays together.  We recently lost a member of our family but we know Molly is up there watching down on us.  We made this video as a little something to be able to spend the holiday together!  I hope everyone has a great rest of the year.  May there be many more great memories for you and your family and once again MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Elf Yourself Music Video