30 Days of Burpees

Hey guys, hope everyone is doing well. I've been keeping busy of course with work and the gym, just figuring out life I guess. At the same time, I've been looking for new fitness challenges to get into. One day, my friend Noereem brought to my attention this 30 days of burpees challenge that Spartan Race posted on their facebook page. I was like "ehhhh I hate burpees, I don't think so". Then I said to myself that I gotta keep pushing myself so why the hell not? So that night, I put in my mind that I was going to perform 30 burpees a day for the next 30 days. No pressure right?

For those that may not know what a burpee is, it is an explosive full body workout that can be used for strength training as well as cardio conditioning.  Here's the basic set-up:

1. Begin in a standing position.
2. Drop into a squat position with your hands on the ground.
3. Kick your feet back, while keeping your arms extended.
4. Immediately return your feet to the squat position.
5. Stand up from the squat position.

Some slight alterations that can be done to the burpee includes adding a push-up once you're in the plank position and as opposed to standing up from the squat position, give a quick jump instead. This is the variation that I chose to do for 30 days. 30 burpees may sounds overwhelming to people, but you can easily break it down. For example:

1. 3 sets of 10.

2. 6 sets of 5.

3. 1 set of 20, 1 set of 10.

I must admit in the beginning, I wasn't sure if I was gonna continue with the challenge. I'm a bigger guy and that's a lot of bodyweight to be flinging around in the air and whatnot. But I kept pushing myself because I'm not a quitter. It was also good to have Noereem's constant support and making me want to be great. Halfway through the challenge, I noticed that my arms and chest were getting more solid and the beginnings of a kinda sorta but not really four-pack. That made me wanna keep going, and that I did. 

Once I got to the last day, I thanked the Lord that I got through it and I didn't quit. It's become a part of my regular workout routine. After my lifting sessions, I go to the cardio area of the gym and bang out burpees. I always get an array of looks from others at the gym, probably wondering what the hell is this guy doing. I'm simply unleashing the beast that I am. From now on, I'm doing 40 or more burpees a day. All of this extra work is merely the beginning stages of training for the Spartan Race I plan on signing up for next year. This will be my next thrill, so wish me luck. Hopefully, I've inspired someone to get up and do some burpees. I still hate them, but the results will influence to you to keep on giving your all. Until next time guys, and thanks for the support as always.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

(Royal H. Burpee; the man responsible for inflicting this hellish workout on the world)

Push It To The Limit

     Hello all, I hope you guys enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday and that you have much to be thankful for, I know I sure do. I have a little bit to catch you up on in my journey to remain healthy and strong.

     A few weeks ago, I calculated all of the miles I ran since April, which turned out to be 191 miles. How I got that far in just a few short months is beyond me, but I made it happen. My friend Noereem also reached the same number of miles. Then of course, my competitive nature kicked in and a challenge was initiated: The first person to reach 200 miles gets a free meal from the loser and also has to complete 30 burpees. Because I'm always up for a challenge, I said to myself I'm gonna run nine miles in one day in order to win. You ever say something out loud and regret it later? Yup, that moment.

     So I woke up early Friday morning, the day of reckoning came too soon. I definitely said a little prayer before I headed out to make sure that my legs and lungs don't collapse. As I'm walking down the hill to stretch, I saw that Noereem had already ran about six or seven miles on my MapMyRun app. To which I said "DAMNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN"!!!! I'm pretty sure my neighbors heard me, but it's all good. So I put on my headphones (MJ playlist of course) and I started running.

     I didn't know how I would map out my run, I only put in my mind that I would make my way to the east side and run up and down some hills and take it from there. Ohhh man what the hell was I thinking? I have never stopped to gasp for air so many times in my life. After awhile, I just running around in circles looking all types of stupid (dumb as hell really).

     Noereem had already finished by the time I reached six miles, but I wasn't gonna stop there. I put in my mind that if I finished, I would be personally satisfied as well as the bragging rights and social media appeal of this story, so I had to make it happen.

     I never thought those three miles would end, but when I finished mannnnn, I'm sure you'd like a motivational climax but in actuality, my legs were on FIRE!!!!!! I went to the store and got me a gatorade and took the bus home cuz I was not trying to run back. Ain't nobody got time for that!! For the next few days, movement was limited. I was tempted to invest in a power walker, but I toughed it out.

     Overall, I'm proud of myself for not giving up and completing the nine miles. My time ended up being 1:45:55. I'll definitely do another major run when the weather allows for it, basically in March. I never imagined myself saying oh I'm gonna run nine miles and actually do it. At this point in my life, I'm focused on bettering myself physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. This was yet another example of what I can accomplish when I put my mind to use and focus on the goal at hand. If I can do it guys, there's no stopping anyone that reads this blog.

(I really had no idea where to go after awhile, as you can see from my frantic gps tracking)