Thanks to everyone that read the last post. I'll try to continue to add to it as the mood strikes me. I thought I would write about something a little more current today...
So, traditionally I have not been a big subscriber to "New Years Resolutions", but this year I thought I would try something a little different, not resolutions per se but rather life goals (as cheesy as that sounds). I have to blame (or credit) my partner on the ambulance, Brian, for unknowingly planting the seed for this plan. We were discussing something fitness related when we hatched a plot that rather quickly grew and grew and grew until the climax was to be us fighting in a cage match. Now I know you are scratching your head wondering what the heck kind of plot would end with Dean fighting in a cage? Well here was the basic gist of it all. I was curious what I would look like and feel like if I gained 20lbs, we laughed at the thought until Brian wondered what he would look like if he dropped 20lbs. The it hit us... we would both weigh 185. Holy hell this could be epic. We built a game plan which would involve utilizing the workout room at the station and get advice from another paramedic, Isabelle, on how we could each attain our goal. And the lynch pin of the whole operation was that all three of us would be at the same station for 4 months starting Jan 1, 2011! Iz and Brian were to be partners and I was working with another medic, Kerri, who also was on board to get into better shape. We were fired up. Then I mentioned this master plan to some fellow climbers thinking they would probably want to join the challenge... not so much. Instead they looked at me in horror and said "what is that going to do to your climbing?" OMG (pardon the abbreviation but I thought it looked funny) my climbing, the one constant activity in my life for the past ten years... back to the drawing board... New plan for Dean, get strong and if I gain muscle weight so be it but no longer would getting bigger be the focus. Whew.
So as Jan 1 drew closer and closer I started to wonder "how am I going to get stronger"? Then that little light bulb went on in my head and I remembered a conversation with a fellow climber who had told me of a training facility he simply called the Hurt Locker. Hmmm... time to do some research. Turns out the Hurt Locker is actually Paragon Athletics, run by Ryan Whited. Originally his garage or a shed or something like that he has finally branched out and rented a small warehouse thats now his new facility. I gave him a call and he was psyched to have me over and show me what he was doing.
As I thought more about my plan to get physically stronger, I wondered if that might be a bit of a hollow goal, seeing as the body is essentially the shell. So then my plan became more challenging, I decided that my goal for 2011 or actually my life would be to become physically stronger, mentally stronger, and emotionally stronger. While more difficult to demonstrate or quantify than physical strength, without the other two aspects of ones being strong what are we?
On to the TBD or total body devestation!(again I just thought the abbreviation looked funny!) So I somewhat eased into this plan and on New Years Eve my friend Cara and I drove to Snowbowl at around 4 pm and started hiking up bowl side. We almost reached the catwalk, but it was too damn cold and we had places to be right? But, we did snag the absolute last run of 2010. The next day was fairly easy with some cross country skiing with my close friends Greg and Mariah. Not too strenuous but still I was outside and it felt great. The next couple of days I kind of puttered around, bouldering at the climbing gym and getting outdoors with the dog. Then the phone call came, it was Ryan, he wanted to know when I could come by and we settled on two days down the road when I got off work. As I drove to Paragons gym, I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting into, did he want to show me the gym? discuss training philosophy? come up with a plan? I pulled into the lot and walked in. Its small, but not claustrophobic. Theres no big stacks of weights, actually not really any free weights at all. On the walls are a variety of odd instruments, skateboards, a keg, kettlebells, chains, a firehose... hmmm... We small talked for a bit and then he looked at me, "do you want to work out or what?"... "uhh yeah? my stuffs in the truck..." After came back in and changed Ryan handed me a jump rope, no problem I can jump rope, after about 100 I was feeling pretty good, then he handed me a jumprope on steroids... I'm not sure but it probably weighed 15lbs and I promptly hit myself in the head with it... Ryan just grinned...
After the workout I felt a little dazed, but I was sold, I want more of this. As I left Ryan warned, "be careful you might feel a little compromised today." Odd statement right? Until I got home and realized, "crap, I am compromised!" Nonetheless I put out a flurry of phone calls and found at least one other person willing to suffer!
The next day I felt like I had been hit by a truck. Even the arches of my feet were sore. But damn it felt good. That shift at work we didn't get a workout in. The station is being painted and is sort of chaotic, but did spend about 40-45 mins swinging a sledge hammer, chipping away the 3-4 inch thick ice dam in the driveway of the station. The next day I was still sore, but got the dog out for a walk and did a half hearted session at the climbing gym. Friday, another easy session at the gym, still sore and then a message from Katie O seeing if I wanted to hike up bowl side with her. Sure, what the hell, she was doing some last minute training for Acongagua and well I'm trying to get in shape. Somehow, I didn't have a full picture of the plan, or snowshoes, or mountaineering boots, or poles, or a concept of "what goes up must come down". Heck I was just along for the ride. We ran into Whitey in the parking lot and he skinned up with us. It was all going well until we hit the last section before the catwalk, Whitey advised me not to hike the actual bowl but a steeper section where he thought it might not be as slippery and I could get better purchase with my non-mountaineering boots. As I headed up I stole a last glance down and saw the Cat working its way up, all I could think of was slipping and becoming a human toboggan and meeting the Cat operator in a very unpleasant manner. HoHum onward and upward. It got steeper and steeper and every once in a while I would post hole up to my waist. But I eventually made it to the top and enjoyed beers, brownies, and hot chocolate with Kate and Whitey. Then the descent. Not really easier or less scary then going up. But hey we made it. Oh yeah it was dark dark and we forgot our headlamps. At least Whitey was prepared and patient!
The next morning I lay in bed wondering if that smell was me or the dog when I received a text from Iz, "you coming to free Saturday". Once a month Crossfit Flagstaff hosts a free saturday class. I turned off the phone. Then I groaned and rolled out of bed. Wow my gluteus maximus was sore. As I drove to Crossfit my phone rang, DKish, looking for a climbing partner, this afternoon at the Pit, sure no problem. I hobbled into Crossfit and promptly got annihilated. Thanks Mike and Lisa. Then home for some bacon and granola and then the Pit. Not a huge day, not even a moderate day but at the end of it I could barely lift my arms over my head. Yesterday was not much better, on a steady diet of ibuprofen and Zyflamend combined with copious amounts of water I groaned my way through the shift.
This morning I awoke feeling a bit better, still stiff in the shoulders but not debilitated. I drove to Paragon and sat in the parking lot. Ryan pulled in a big smile on his face. We had to wait a few for Ryan Stuber to arrive but he showed up fired up and ready to go. Unfortunately our third member bailed but what can you do, (nickname the Pinche!). Ryan put us through an awesome workout that made me forget my sore shoulders, laugh with disbelief, and feel like I was going to puke my guts out. I guess next time I have to work harder. Stuber and I scheduled our next three sessions and the season of TBD continues! (If anyone is interested in working out with us, we're looking for 1-2 other guys that are down to put in hard work and get stronger, we'll just have to work out the schedule.)
So, we'll see how this all goes, I'm fired up and excited to put in some hard work. Next will be TMD and TED. Just kidding I'm not sure you can train those aspects in the same way! Perhaps though...
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