This is a blog I have been thinking about since about July 24th. After my fight on July 23rd I wasn't sure this 'old man' had it in him to fight in a predominately 20 yo amateur mma sport. Anyone who knows me however knows I don't give up, nor do I quit. Never trying again with 1 loss has bothered me since that night. I would rather be 0-2 and say its not for me than to fight 1 time, lose and say it's not for me. I know not everyone will be excited with my decision but again if you know me, I'm sure you will understand.
So, right now I am looking for a personal trainer---someone with strength and conditioning backgrounds. Someone who can push me to be bigger, faster and better than I have ever been physically and mentally. Kinda like a Marine Corp boot camp I guess. I want to get back into a gym for the MMA training which will be tough considering the closest is in Wichita but I will see what I can work out there.
Not sure when I will be able to get where I feel I need to be to step back in the cage but at the latest I would like to try again by early spring 2012. If it happens sooner fine, but I will not walk back in there until I improve my cardio and strength. Mentally I feel like I was fine and now with one fight behind me I think I will be even stronger there.
I have started riding the bike again and getting the calorie burn going. Once it cools down I plan on running more. The running shoes feel great. I am always looking for people to ride or run with and hopefully soon hit the gym with. If you are looking to get outside and ride or run a few miles get in touch.
For anyone wondering since July 23 when I weighed in at 168 I have put on about 8-9 pounds since then. My current wait is exactly what I was about 2 weeks prior to my fight. I literally have eaten about whatever I wanted. The difference being that what I wanted was still healthy foods as opposed to McDonald's, Burger King and all the other places like that. I do eat bigger portions than needed but that's what I am working on again as of now.
Well that's it for now.
Enjoy your holiday weekend!!!
Darren
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Letter back from Corp of Engineers
This is the reply I got back from the Milford Lake, Corps of Engineers. If they hold up to this letter it shows they are definitely trying to fix the problem. Supposed to be hearing back from them in the next couple days again so we will see. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Albertson Family:
Thank you for your electronic mail you sent on August 8, 2001 regarding this issue. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sincerely apologizes for the frustrations you encountered with your recent camping trip. It has definitely been a tough summer for our customers at Milford Lake due to high lake conditions and the presence of the blue-green algae.
The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers works with The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) to test the lake for blue/green algae when conditions warrant. The State tests on Monday, with a conference call lead by KDHE on the following Thursday or Friday to discuss the testing results and recommended advisory status. The Corps posts the updates and news releases to our website www.nwk.usace.army.mil/mi. The Corps also calls local radio stations and papers so the public can be informed in a timely manner. Unfortunately we are unable to contact every user of the lake regarding this particular issue.
The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers contracts with Reserve America to provide reservable campsites through the internet and call center. The collaboration typically works very well, however in this case there were unfortunate circumstances that lead to the problems you encountered. The case is being reviewed by both the Corps of Engineers and Reserve America to ensure similar incidents will be prevented in the future.
Your reservations at Milford and Clinton will be refunded. Your time and frustration with this occurrence warrant the refunding of the reservations at both lakes. Refunds normally take 24-48 hours. Mr. David White from the Kansas City District office will follow up this letter with a phone call to Mr. Albertson to verify the refunds were processed and received accordingly.
In the future, if you encounter problems at any Corps of Engineer facility please contact the local lake project office and ask to speak with Park Manager or Operations Manager. In most cases they will be able to correct the problem, or come to an acceptable resolution, in a timely manner.
Our intent is service and customer satisfaction, we appreciate you taking the time to make us aware of the camping problem at Milford lake. We take pride on being open and responsive to our customer’s concerns and requests. If I can be of further assistance to you on this matter, please contact me at 785-238-5714.
Ken Wenger
Park Manager
Monday, August 8, 2011
Letter I sent to the Corps of Engineers, Governor, KC Star and Wichita Eagle
Headquarters, US Army Corps of Engineers
441 G. Street, NW
Washington, DC 20314-1000
441 G. Street, NW
Washington, DC 20314-1000
To whom it may concern,
My name is Darren Albertson and I have an unfortunate incident I want to pass along to you about a very frustrating series of events I am trying to get corrected. The events started with reservations I had made through the recreation.gov website.
This situation begins on or about July 16th. According to my reservation emails 3 of my reservations were made in the late hours of the 16th and 1 just after midnight on the 17th of July. On July 24th on my way back to Hutchinson, KS from Missouri I stopped in the park to check the reserved sites out and found out that the lake was closed due to blue/green algae. I made all 4 reservations online for a family trip. At the time I made the reservations had I known of the algae issue and the lake being closed I would never have made those reservations. After speaking to the camp host working the little office at the park she recommended I call the Corp of Engineers office for the Milford Lake area. Milford Lake was chosen by our entire party because it was centrally located for everyone convenience. The intentions of this trip were to camp, boat, swim and fish. On July 25th I did just that and spoke with a lady who explained new test results would be available on that Wednesday. At that time the lady and I decided I should wait until Wednesday to change my reservations in hopes the test results came back good. On Wednesday I called the Milford Lake office again and was informed they would not have test results back until Thursday. Thursday I called and they said they would not have the results back until Friday. So on Thursday July 28th I decided I couldn’t wait any longer for test results and elected to have the reservations moved to a lake that was open. We had 4 separate camping units coming and 5 children who would have been devastated had we not been able to boat or swim. We had 3 units coming from Chillicothe, MO and myself from Hutchinson, KS.
After speaking with the Milford lake office they informed me I would have to contact another phone # in order to CHANGE my reservations. I immediately called and was on hold for 30-45 minutes before actually getting a person to speak with due to high call volume. I spoke with a lady whom I did not write her name down but have since been told her name was Elizabeth by another person. Anyways this lady gave very misleading information about many different things. One of them being that she was cancelling my Milford Lake reservations and refunding my money. I was under the impression my reservations were being changed until almost the very end of a very lengthy call. She then required me to pay for the new set of reservations at Clinton Lake (Hickory/Walnut Campground). I explained to her I was unemployed and how important these funds were to me at the time. She assured me that I would have the funds back in my account for the cancelled reservations in 48-72 hours. Then and only then did I decide to continue and pay for the second set of reservations but only because I was assured that I would have my money back within the 48-72 hours for the cancelled reservations. I checked my account twice last week and still had no refund. After arriving back home from Clinton lake on 8/7/11 I again checked my account and still had no refund. I immediately used the ‘Contact Us’ link on the recreation.gov website. Then today I called again to the # I had used when I spoke to Elizabeth. I ended up speaking with a male by the name of Joseph I believe. Joseph told me that in fact the Milford Lake reservations were never cancelled and they were listed as a ‘no show’. Due to this I was told I would have to wait approximately 8 weeks for a refund because I hadn’t cancelled the reservations. I explained to ‘Joseph’ that I had in fact called as instructed and had requested my reservations be changed. Once I knew she wasn’t changing them but was making new reservations I asked specifically about the Milford Lake reservations. She assured me they were cancelled and I would be receiving my refund as stated above, however ‘Joseph’ stated that she had not cancelled them.
I had also asked about the $10 cancellation penalty at that time and was told I would get them back except for on one reservation. Elizabeth stated that since the lake closure was only through August 5th and one reservation started on August 5th that I would still incur the penalty on that reservation. The only reason we felt forced to make a change was due to the algae issue. If 4 reservations are made for a group it should be obvious they are wanting to camp together and all four should be allowed to move penalty free due to the algae issue. The reason for being told I could get the penalty fee back was due to the blue/green algae lake closure. After speaking to ‘Joseph’ he told me I would not be credited back that money because the campground was still open and that I could have still camped there. Again had I known that the lake was closed I would never have made reservations for Milford Lake. Yes he is right I could have camped there, but if I hadn’t wanted to use the lake I could also have made reservations somewhere without a lake to begin with. I wanted to use the lake at Milford and that was the very reason we picked that site to make reservations for so ‘Josephs’ reasoning is a bit ridiculous. I am sure ‘Joseph’ was only following some rule that you all have in place but common sense says that if you close down part of a Federal park/lake and people want to move reservations due to that it should be allowed penalty free.
If anyone were to look at the reservations for Milford Lake and the reservations for Clinton Lake it would be very easy to see the reservations were made for the same exact days and camping units. In this situation and with all the information stated above it is unbelievable that your ‘policy’ is to hold onto a customer’s money for a possible 8 weeks while everything is researched and going through the political paperwork that you all have in place. Upon clicking the pay button on the online reservation system my money was gone in a matter of minutes as well as the same thing happened when making the second set of reservations over the phone with ‘Elizabeth’. Now in order to correct a mistake you all made I am the mercy of your process and could possibly be without these funds for 8 weeks. I feel that it should not take much more than just a few minutes to resolve the issue at hand, but am being told it is absolutely impossible except to go ‘the process’.
At this point I have paid $176 for reservations at Milford Lake and $176 for reservations at Clinton Lake. Then also I am being told I will be charged the $40 now for the 4 cancellations. At this point I know of 4 family groups who no longer wish to do business with the US Army Corp of Engineers if this is the way you do business. I will voice my concerns and issues with family and friends and will be mailing copies of this letter to the local media. Copies are also being sent to the Milford Lake office and Clinton Lake office. As my father has already mailed a letter concerning everything I have dealt with to the Kansas Governor’s office I will follow suit with a copy of this letter being mailed there as well. I feel I need to voice my concerns in as many areas as possible in order to be heard. This ‘process’ is not fair to the paying customer nor a good business practice to keep customers coming back. As witnessed at the campground there were very few customers who spent their hard earned money to be there. The campground was at best ¼ full and just possibly it is this type of business practices that kept people away.
With that being said, I will say Clinton Lake and the Hickory/Walnut campground was a beautiful lake and campground. As a family we had an awesome weekend together and realized it has been almost 20 years since we had all camped together as 1 big family. I watched my nephew and niece kneeboard, tube and try to waterski for the first time. My parents and siblings camped for the first time in a Kansas park. I got to take my son camping for the 1st time. All in all we had a wonderful time however my issues have left me with a sour taste for the federal side of the parks system. This is the 1st time I had ever stayed in a federal park and may very well be the last.
I hope that you can see my frustration with your ‘process’ and although you might not care to get me my money back any sooner---I hope you can at least start the process to make the rules, policy, and process much better going forward for all those who use what tax money already helps to pay for.
Thanks for listening,
Darren Albertson
805A Old Farm Estates
Hutchinson, KS 67502
620-899-2780
darrenal2000@yahoo.com
Monday, July 25, 2011
So now the question is---Will you fight again?
Hello everyone!
Well as you know I fulfilled my goal of fighting an MMA fight on Saturday night July 23rd. I will say two things about the fight-#1 it was hot hot hot #2 I lost. No excuses the other guy won fair and square. I have watched the video a few times today and still not sure what I was doing but I gave the guy a clear shot to my face and he took it. With his foot. From what I was told and after watching the video it seems that I would have won the first round but winning a round doesn't mean anything when there are 3 rounds and you don't finish the 2nd round. I give my congrats to Michael Rivera on a good clean fight.
Now--the big question--will I fight again? If I answered that today I could possibly be lying. What I will say is I am a daddy first and foremost and that is my #1 priority in life. Secondly I have some very special people in my life who either don't want me to fight again or have even asked me not to. By MMA standards I am an old man. This is a young mans sport. Stepping in that cage Saturday night brought back many memories of walking out on the wrestling mat 20 years ago and reminded me of my competitive spirit however. Flying airplanes really doesn't give you that feeling. Skydiving neither. Fastest beer drinker is still just the fastest beer drinker. One on one competition is what I was raised on and I love it. When competing one on one there are no excuses. You either win or lose and no one else is to blame. So will you see me fight again---I don't know. Right now I am going to be a daddy. I will continue to work out and if the stars align just the right way maybe. Maybe not.
So thats the answer I have right now.
Again, I want to thank everyone who helped or pushed me along the way. I had awesome support from January all the way thru this fight from many family members and friends. Thanks again to a long time friend Levi Chappell for being in my corner. Thanks to all of you who paid money to see the fights and again to those who drove in from far away.
Til the next time,
I'm out
Well as you know I fulfilled my goal of fighting an MMA fight on Saturday night July 23rd. I will say two things about the fight-#1 it was hot hot hot #2 I lost. No excuses the other guy won fair and square. I have watched the video a few times today and still not sure what I was doing but I gave the guy a clear shot to my face and he took it. With his foot. From what I was told and after watching the video it seems that I would have won the first round but winning a round doesn't mean anything when there are 3 rounds and you don't finish the 2nd round. I give my congrats to Michael Rivera on a good clean fight.
Now--the big question--will I fight again? If I answered that today I could possibly be lying. What I will say is I am a daddy first and foremost and that is my #1 priority in life. Secondly I have some very special people in my life who either don't want me to fight again or have even asked me not to. By MMA standards I am an old man. This is a young mans sport. Stepping in that cage Saturday night brought back many memories of walking out on the wrestling mat 20 years ago and reminded me of my competitive spirit however. Flying airplanes really doesn't give you that feeling. Skydiving neither. Fastest beer drinker is still just the fastest beer drinker. One on one competition is what I was raised on and I love it. When competing one on one there are no excuses. You either win or lose and no one else is to blame. So will you see me fight again---I don't know. Right now I am going to be a daddy. I will continue to work out and if the stars align just the right way maybe. Maybe not.
So thats the answer I have right now.
Again, I want to thank everyone who helped or pushed me along the way. I had awesome support from January all the way thru this fight from many family members and friends. Thanks again to a long time friend Levi Chappell for being in my corner. Thanks to all of you who paid money to see the fights and again to those who drove in from far away.
Til the next time,
I'm out
Thursday, July 21, 2011
On the road again!
Hello and good afternoon from a very crispy Hutchinson, KS.
In just a couple hours we will be leaving for Chillicothe, MO. I am excited to get home and see family and friends and sounds like some of them are just as excited to see us when we get there. Should arrive in Chilli about 11:30 or so.
I got a good workout in this morning and a little over a mile walk. Weighed in this morning at 167.6. Probably going to give my body a rest tomorrow except may have to steal a bike from Denny and get a few miles in around Chillicothe.
Over the last week or so, I keep getting asked the same question. Are you nervous? My answer to that is NO. Anxious, maybe a little but nervous no. I know I have given my best effort to prepare for this. I have had obstacle after obstacle along the way that I neither let get me down or stop me from reaching this goal. In a way I feel like I have already won no matter what happens on Saturday but trust me when I get inside that cage I am going in with only one goal in mind.
Throughout this journey I have lost 50 lbs as of my weight this morning. I have increased my energy, strength, confidence and overall wellness. I have had cuts, bruises, bumps, scrapes and many a sore muscle. I have had people who have pushed me along the way and others who never thought I would make it. To those of you who thought that, YOU LOSE. Again I want to say thanks for everyone who has supported me from January until now in this goal I set for myself. Without those supporters I may not have made it to this point. Also, I say thanks to those of you who wish I wasn't doing this thanks for not trying to talk me out of it. It would not have worked and only have wasted your time and effort. Thats my stubborn side but also my side that allows me to dream and live out those dreams without letting anything get in my way. I challenge each and everyone of you to set a goal or live out a dream that you have had and make it happen. There are no excuses for not living out your dreams or attaining a goal. For anyone who watched the Espy's a week or two ago there was young man on there by the name of Anthony Robles. Some of you may have heard of him and many others probably not. Anthony was a wrestler. A very good one at that. Matter of fact he was an NCAA Champion in wrestling. Some of you say so what, several people have had that title. Well this is where it gets interesting, Anthony Robles was born with one leg. Do you think this man had an excuse? If he had chose to be in choir or band do you think his one leg would have been an issue? This young man not only had the courage to take up wrestling but set a goal to be a National Champion. No excuses for him. Now how many one legged NCAA wrestling champions do you know. Watching his speech brought tears to my eyes and realized he had many excuses where he could have given up. 2 fathers walked out on him and his family, born with what most of us would consider a handicap. This kid persevered though all that and stood there on his crutches a National Champion. NO EXCUSES.
Well thats all I got for ya, except I will attach a poem that Anthony Robles has written and read on the Espy Awards. Enjoy.
"Every soul who comes to earth
with a leg or two at birth
must wrestle his opponents knowing it's not what is,
it's what can be that measures worth.
Make it hard, just make it possible
and through pain I'll not complain.
My spirit is unconquerable,
fearless I will face each foe, for I know I am capable.
I don't care what's probable,
through blood, sweat, and tears, I am unstoppable."
I'm outta here,
Darren
In just a couple hours we will be leaving for Chillicothe, MO. I am excited to get home and see family and friends and sounds like some of them are just as excited to see us when we get there. Should arrive in Chilli about 11:30 or so.
I got a good workout in this morning and a little over a mile walk. Weighed in this morning at 167.6. Probably going to give my body a rest tomorrow except may have to steal a bike from Denny and get a few miles in around Chillicothe.
Over the last week or so, I keep getting asked the same question. Are you nervous? My answer to that is NO. Anxious, maybe a little but nervous no. I know I have given my best effort to prepare for this. I have had obstacle after obstacle along the way that I neither let get me down or stop me from reaching this goal. In a way I feel like I have already won no matter what happens on Saturday but trust me when I get inside that cage I am going in with only one goal in mind.
Throughout this journey I have lost 50 lbs as of my weight this morning. I have increased my energy, strength, confidence and overall wellness. I have had cuts, bruises, bumps, scrapes and many a sore muscle. I have had people who have pushed me along the way and others who never thought I would make it. To those of you who thought that, YOU LOSE. Again I want to say thanks for everyone who has supported me from January until now in this goal I set for myself. Without those supporters I may not have made it to this point. Also, I say thanks to those of you who wish I wasn't doing this thanks for not trying to talk me out of it. It would not have worked and only have wasted your time and effort. Thats my stubborn side but also my side that allows me to dream and live out those dreams without letting anything get in my way. I challenge each and everyone of you to set a goal or live out a dream that you have had and make it happen. There are no excuses for not living out your dreams or attaining a goal. For anyone who watched the Espy's a week or two ago there was young man on there by the name of Anthony Robles. Some of you may have heard of him and many others probably not. Anthony was a wrestler. A very good one at that. Matter of fact he was an NCAA Champion in wrestling. Some of you say so what, several people have had that title. Well this is where it gets interesting, Anthony Robles was born with one leg. Do you think this man had an excuse? If he had chose to be in choir or band do you think his one leg would have been an issue? This young man not only had the courage to take up wrestling but set a goal to be a National Champion. No excuses for him. Now how many one legged NCAA wrestling champions do you know. Watching his speech brought tears to my eyes and realized he had many excuses where he could have given up. 2 fathers walked out on him and his family, born with what most of us would consider a handicap. This kid persevered though all that and stood there on his crutches a National Champion. NO EXCUSES.
Well thats all I got for ya, except I will attach a poem that Anthony Robles has written and read on the Espy Awards. Enjoy.
"Every soul who comes to earth
with a leg or two at birth
must wrestle his opponents knowing it's not what is,
it's what can be that measures worth.
Make it hard, just make it possible
and through pain I'll not complain.
My spirit is unconquerable,
fearless I will face each foe, for I know I am capable.
I don't care what's probable,
through blood, sweat, and tears, I am unstoppable."
I'm outta here,
Darren
Monday, July 18, 2011
Progress of Michele Deviney---This is copied from her blog
The following blog was written by a friend and past co-worker of mine. Michele has followed my progress as well as I have been following hers. She has made great progress in her goals and if I know Michele she won't stop til she reaches that goal. For anyone that knows anything about Michele and I we started working together approximately 4 years ago. We both chose not to like the each other pretty early on. The reasons I know of was that I wasn't her 'old boss', I did things different, and I was a little rough around the edges. Really the only reason I didn't like her was 1 simple reason. She was PREGNANT. Now I know that sounds crazy and before you all persecute me let me explain. The stories you hear about pregnant women----you know the HORROR STORIES, well those stories are what I dealt with for about 9 months. Obviously since then we found a way to work together and even formed a friendship that for me at least is a friendship I wouldn't want to be without. Michele is a very dedicated woman, she will tell you her opinion but will listen to yours and when you need an ear to vent to she will be there til your finished venting. Now knowing what I know it wasn't the fact that she was PREGNANT, it was the fact that I obviously have a knack for not getting along well with PREGNANT women. Or maybe that is only 2 PREGNANT women.
Anyways please take time to read and if you will add her to follow her blogs. I am sure you will find many motivations and great tips following her. Congratulations Michele and thank you for finally getting this written for me.
Monday, July 18, 2011
The First of many to come
So I have had many of you ask for it, so here it really is. I am going to really do this. So read away and tell me what you think.
My journey begins back when we had our last snow of winter. I had been shopping with my mom all day and well to tell you the truth getting around Sam's was not easy. Pushing a cart full of grocery's, chasing down 3 kids. Looking into my cart know that pretty much none of what I was buying was really good for us.
We go to pay and I spent well close to $400 dollars. (we will come back to this) I was sweating not feeling well and generally tired.
I got to my moms and always see her scale and treadmill and always thought man she has it easy she can just work out here. No kids just peace right here. Look out on the yard. So I stepped on the scale. What I saw shocked me. Yup there it stared back at. 284. How in the world did I ever allow myself to get here. I started to cry, but very quickly made myself appear as I had gotten something in my eye. See my mom is really big on being sure to tell me if I didn't like to do something about it. I knew I had gained weight as all my clothes had gotten tighter, and being that my youngest was 2 now, I could no longer blame baby weight as the contributing factor.
So I got home after driving in the scary snow. Told Brent that I had gotten on the scale at my moms. See we had a scale but after I gave up last time, I hid it. I didn't want to see it as I knew it would remind me that I should be working out. We agreed to work on it together. However he reminded me that this time that I had to choose when to start and I had to do it my way. He wasn't going to help me it had to be for me and only me.
It wasn't that easy see remember the $400 I spent, well like I said not a whole lot of good food. More like frozen pizza, frozen pies, chips, salsa, pop tarts, cereal, etc. etc etc. I had to make the choice to get rid of these before I could start.
I am an avid watcher of The Biggest Loser. One of which I want to thank the other of what I want to curse. The books have helped me dearly, however it has always made me mad I couldn't lose the weight as fast as I wanted to.
So it started I had to get rid of the money I had just spent. I allowed my kids to eat most of it while I started my meal plans out of the 30 day fast start biggest loser book. The food in there is really good as well as you get nice servings to make you feel full. This is a big point I would like to point out. If you are trying to diet and can't get full it will NEVER WORK!!! Why you might ask because you have to have a life style change. A diet won't work. You have to follow a meal plan. One of my favorite apps on my phone is my fitness pal. It helps you plan your calories and you can put in food you eat. I will tell you getting to my calories has been my biggest battle. I feel like I am consuming too many calories, however I am not consuming enough. Odd right. However that's why diets don't work, you can not starve yourself. Well needless to say I felt like I wasted $400. However, the thought crossed my mind, I would $400 for my health any day.
I cant thank my husband enough for telling me what he did. You can ask him I got frustrated, and I wanted him to tell me when to start and in fact it made me mad. So to prove him wrong I set out to prove him wrong. I would do this and I would do it my way. I started out using the wii. Biggest loser and wii fit. Both are great so don't take this wrong and an outstanding way to start, but they aren't going to get you were you really need or want to be. Great filler though if you can't get outside, or to the gym. Do not try to solely use these. Month one went well. Like I said though I got upset when I saw the weight not coming off as fast as I saw on TV. Well hello Michele its TV. These people have no where to go but to the gym. And at that they can go 24 hours a day. Happened to be the same day that I got an email at work from a "coach". See I have been getting these emails for 2 years and to tell you the truth I have deleted each one without reading them. I happen to work for a very good company whom care about our health. So we have a coach that sends out health tips, work out tips and nutritional information. This one happen to say STOP, you are your own worst critic. You will do this just allow yourself to take the time you need and STOP beating yourself up. Needless to say every week when I get these emails I read them now and print them off. Great information is to be found in them and they keep me going. As well as many things do.
After my first month ALONE, I got Brent on board. There were many reason to him making me do a month alone. Many things had to change. I know men lose weight faster than women and this was one of his reasons. The other was he knew I wouldn't change my shopping habits for everyone if I didn't for myself. I have found out and as silly as it may sound, shopping for healthier food is so much cheaper and you can buy in bulk just like you do with your not so healthy or what I like to call worthless calorie foods. Another big struggle and still is starting my day out eating. I don't know why but it is so hard for me. With that being said I started drinking shakes. Not just any shakes, but with soy milk and fruit. You get full healthily calories this way. In another blog I will fully go into what a typical meal day looks for me.
Month one under my belt and I wanted more. I was still doing wii, biggest loser andwii fit plus. I wanted more and had already purchased books in the biggest loser line, why not some videos. That's what I did, purchased a few workout DVDS. Jillian's 30 day shred is no joke. It helped but after almost 2 months of doing it on my own and out of my own home. I still wanted more.
I was sick of paying full price for the kids to play y sports so Brent and I checked it out. A membership for our entire family was only $47.00, it was that easy. $47.00 a month and we can work out unlimited. Well during the open hours.
And with that we were y member and still are. Brent and I both work out. He is my rock and accountability. Without that person and my apps on my phone I would be lost. The trainers at the y(even though I have not hired them) are very helpful and willing to offer up help with just a simple question.
I know this blog is long and its getting late(really I have an almost 3 year old jumping off the couch.) I promise now that its really started to follow up as daily as I can.
I know many of you want to know my inspiration and how I do it. I know that almost 6 months into it I haven't lost as much as I was hoping for and I will also explain that. Feel free to follow my blog and stay up to date with me. I will begin training for my first ever 5k in Jan. 2012 and hope to run in Texas with my sister. Many great things are yet to come so follow be inspired encouraged, know that I will be there cheering you on.
~I can accept failing, what I can not accept is not TRYING.~
My journey begins back when we had our last snow of winter. I had been shopping with my mom all day and well to tell you the truth getting around Sam's was not easy. Pushing a cart full of grocery's, chasing down 3 kids. Looking into my cart know that pretty much none of what I was buying was really good for us.
We go to pay and I spent well close to $400 dollars. (we will come back to this) I was sweating not feeling well and generally tired.
I got to my moms and always see her scale and treadmill and always thought man she has it easy she can just work out here. No kids just peace right here. Look out on the yard. So I stepped on the scale. What I saw shocked me. Yup there it stared back at. 284. How in the world did I ever allow myself to get here. I started to cry, but very quickly made myself appear as I had gotten something in my eye. See my mom is really big on being sure to tell me if I didn't like to do something about it. I knew I had gained weight as all my clothes had gotten tighter, and being that my youngest was 2 now, I could no longer blame baby weight as the contributing factor.
So I got home after driving in the scary snow. Told Brent that I had gotten on the scale at my moms. See we had a scale but after I gave up last time, I hid it. I didn't want to see it as I knew it would remind me that I should be working out. We agreed to work on it together. However he reminded me that this time that I had to choose when to start and I had to do it my way. He wasn't going to help me it had to be for me and only me.
It wasn't that easy see remember the $400 I spent, well like I said not a whole lot of good food. More like frozen pizza, frozen pies, chips, salsa, pop tarts, cereal, etc. etc etc. I had to make the choice to get rid of these before I could start.
I am an avid watcher of The Biggest Loser. One of which I want to thank the other of what I want to curse. The books have helped me dearly, however it has always made me mad I couldn't lose the weight as fast as I wanted to.
So it started I had to get rid of the money I had just spent. I allowed my kids to eat most of it while I started my meal plans out of the 30 day fast start biggest loser book. The food in there is really good as well as you get nice servings to make you feel full. This is a big point I would like to point out. If you are trying to diet and can't get full it will NEVER WORK!!! Why you might ask because you have to have a life style change. A diet won't work. You have to follow a meal plan. One of my favorite apps on my phone is my fitness pal. It helps you plan your calories and you can put in food you eat. I will tell you getting to my calories has been my biggest battle. I feel like I am consuming too many calories, however I am not consuming enough. Odd right. However that's why diets don't work, you can not starve yourself. Well needless to say I felt like I wasted $400. However, the thought crossed my mind, I would $400 for my health any day.
I cant thank my husband enough for telling me what he did. You can ask him I got frustrated, and I wanted him to tell me when to start and in fact it made me mad. So to prove him wrong I set out to prove him wrong. I would do this and I would do it my way. I started out using the wii. Biggest loser and wii fit. Both are great so don't take this wrong and an outstanding way to start, but they aren't going to get you were you really need or want to be. Great filler though if you can't get outside, or to the gym. Do not try to solely use these. Month one went well. Like I said though I got upset when I saw the weight not coming off as fast as I saw on TV. Well hello Michele its TV. These people have no where to go but to the gym. And at that they can go 24 hours a day. Happened to be the same day that I got an email at work from a "coach". See I have been getting these emails for 2 years and to tell you the truth I have deleted each one without reading them. I happen to work for a very good company whom care about our health. So we have a coach that sends out health tips, work out tips and nutritional information. This one happen to say STOP, you are your own worst critic. You will do this just allow yourself to take the time you need and STOP beating yourself up. Needless to say every week when I get these emails I read them now and print them off. Great information is to be found in them and they keep me going. As well as many things do.
After my first month ALONE, I got Brent on board. There were many reason to him making me do a month alone. Many things had to change. I know men lose weight faster than women and this was one of his reasons. The other was he knew I wouldn't change my shopping habits for everyone if I didn't for myself. I have found out and as silly as it may sound, shopping for healthier food is so much cheaper and you can buy in bulk just like you do with your not so healthy or what I like to call worthless calorie foods. Another big struggle and still is starting my day out eating. I don't know why but it is so hard for me. With that being said I started drinking shakes. Not just any shakes, but with soy milk and fruit. You get full healthily calories this way. In another blog I will fully go into what a typical meal day looks for me.
Month one under my belt and I wanted more. I was still doing wii, biggest loser andwii fit plus. I wanted more and had already purchased books in the biggest loser line, why not some videos. That's what I did, purchased a few workout DVDS. Jillian's 30 day shred is no joke. It helped but after almost 2 months of doing it on my own and out of my own home. I still wanted more.
I was sick of paying full price for the kids to play y sports so Brent and I checked it out. A membership for our entire family was only $47.00, it was that easy. $47.00 a month and we can work out unlimited. Well during the open hours.
And with that we were y member and still are. Brent and I both work out. He is my rock and accountability. Without that person and my apps on my phone I would be lost. The trainers at the y(even though I have not hired them) are very helpful and willing to offer up help with just a simple question.
I know this blog is long and its getting late(really I have an almost 3 year old jumping off the couch.) I promise now that its really started to follow up as daily as I can.
I know many of you want to know my inspiration and how I do it. I know that almost 6 months into it I haven't lost as much as I was hoping for and I will also explain that. Feel free to follow my blog and stay up to date with me. I will begin training for my first ever 5k in Jan. 2012 and hope to run in Texas with my sister. Many great things are yet to come so follow be inspired encouraged, know that I will be there cheering you on.
~I can accept failing, what I can not accept is not TRYING.~
Why you working out with your phone?
Good morning everyone!
Just got in from my run/walk earlier. Weight is holding right where I want it at 170. I'm down to just a few days left before the fight. Looks like we will be heading to Chillicothe either Thursday night or Friday morning. Sounds like the show on Saturday should be a very good show. 15-20 fights and then the live band afterwards for anyone who wishes to stay. It's not to late to get your ticket if you still need one.
I wanted to talk a little bit about my phone now. Your phone Darren? Why the heck you blogging about your phone? Well this is why. If you have seen me running, or out riding my bike, or at the gym you notice my phone is right there with me. First off, yes I am addicted to it. I check facebook to often and text quite a bit. I said it I am an phone addict, but this is about more than that. On my phone I have numerous fitness apps. I am sure if your reading this blog you have seen one my many post from my workout sessions on Cardiotrainer. I use Cardiotrainer on every workout when I am running or biking. It tracks my calorie burn, time, distance and the exact locations that I ran or biked. Since I started using Cardiotrainer I have logged 135 workouts, 33,957 calories burned and 263.1 miles walked, ran or biked. Now the miles are not correct when you take into consideration the workouts on the stationary bike. Since I am not moving it does not track the miles. Cardiotrainer now has a new program out called Noom. I haven't started using it yet but it looks like it could eliminate a few of the other programs I have used. I have used myfitnesspal and Jefit and really like them both. I currently am in the process of using C25K in order to prepare myself for a 5k run. I recently downloaded a Push-up app that will help you get to 125 consecutive pushups. I downloaded Round One timer also which is a boxing/mma timer to use during training. All of the applications I use are free downloads on Android phones. Each of them have premium apps that add more features but cost to download. At this point I have had no need for the premium apps.
For music apps I use the standard music player and Pandora. Pandora plays a style of music based off of a song, artist, genre that you type in. I use this almost exclusively when I am at the gym. When I am doing my cardio outside I use music player with a preloaded song list that I have setup. Listening to music definitely makes my workouts seem to go quicker.
I think for anyone who is wanting to start working out you should check out some of the apps I mentioned above. I know there are many more out there but these are what have helped me and ones that I have liked. They are easy to use, help to hold me accountable and FREE. My phone has been a big help in my weight loss progress.
So when you see me out running/walking or on the bike with my phone---I promise I'm not facebooking. I'm just checking my distance or time or possibly changing a song.
Well I need to get so I can check my Facebook!
Darren
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
10 days and counting!
Hello from beautiful and burning hot Hutchinson!
Well we are down to 10 days left before the fight. I have been running, biking, and doing bag workouts everyday for the last 9-10 days. I will be ready come the 23rd. Hope to see you there.
I have to go take a drug test tomorrow for a pre-employment drug screening. I have never been very good at test so we will see. I think I will be fine on this one! Been 9 1/2 months since I have worked a 'REAL' job. Trust me when I say I am ready to get back to work. Not going to disclose the job here as I have a couple other things I am working on at this time.
Looks like I will be getting to take Dylan to Chillicothe with me the weekend of the 23rd. Excited that nana and papa will be able to spend some time with him as well as aunts, uncles and cousins. He just doesn't get to see them near enough. It has been awesome watching him grow over these last 9 1/2 months. He has went from barely walking to running. He knows how to say NO NO very well and occasionly will say 'fankou' aka Thank You and even 'urcum' which I think is Your Welcome. Occasionly he will tell some pretty long stories that I wish I could understand. Not sure where he gets his story telling abilities but I can't wait for the day I can understand them. I fear I will be getting calls from the daycare about him hitting someone as he watches me workout in the basement and he loves to hit the heavybag. He barely can hold the gloves up and he will put them on and swing them at the bag when I let him.
Have a mini vacation coming up starting August 3rd. I know how can you take a mini vacation after you have been off work for 9 1/2 months. Well we had planned a family vacation a few months back for south Missouri to go trout fishing but my family has decided to make the trip a bit easier on me and we will all be meeting at Milford Lake near Junction City. It has been a long time since we were all together for a vacation so I am really excited about this. Not sure what all days I will be able to be there but I will be there as many days as I can. My parents have a 34' rv that they will be taking, my brother Denny and his wife just purchased a 25' pull type trailer that looks brand new in the pics and then I will be taking my pop-up. I will be making either my dutch oven pizza for everyone or the lasagna. Maybe both. I am sure many laughs and a few beverages will be had while there. Might even get to do some biking with Denny.
Time to shower for the 2nd time today. Just finished my morning workouts and need to get some work done now.
D-Town out
Well we are down to 10 days left before the fight. I have been running, biking, and doing bag workouts everyday for the last 9-10 days. I will be ready come the 23rd. Hope to see you there.
I have to go take a drug test tomorrow for a pre-employment drug screening. I have never been very good at test so we will see. I think I will be fine on this one! Been 9 1/2 months since I have worked a 'REAL' job. Trust me when I say I am ready to get back to work. Not going to disclose the job here as I have a couple other things I am working on at this time.
Looks like I will be getting to take Dylan to Chillicothe with me the weekend of the 23rd. Excited that nana and papa will be able to spend some time with him as well as aunts, uncles and cousins. He just doesn't get to see them near enough. It has been awesome watching him grow over these last 9 1/2 months. He has went from barely walking to running. He knows how to say NO NO very well and occasionly will say 'fankou' aka Thank You and even 'urcum' which I think is Your Welcome. Occasionly he will tell some pretty long stories that I wish I could understand. Not sure where he gets his story telling abilities but I can't wait for the day I can understand them. I fear I will be getting calls from the daycare about him hitting someone as he watches me workout in the basement and he loves to hit the heavybag. He barely can hold the gloves up and he will put them on and swing them at the bag when I let him.
Have a mini vacation coming up starting August 3rd. I know how can you take a mini vacation after you have been off work for 9 1/2 months. Well we had planned a family vacation a few months back for south Missouri to go trout fishing but my family has decided to make the trip a bit easier on me and we will all be meeting at Milford Lake near Junction City. It has been a long time since we were all together for a vacation so I am really excited about this. Not sure what all days I will be able to be there but I will be there as many days as I can. My parents have a 34' rv that they will be taking, my brother Denny and his wife just purchased a 25' pull type trailer that looks brand new in the pics and then I will be taking my pop-up. I will be making either my dutch oven pizza for everyone or the lasagna. Maybe both. I am sure many laughs and a few beverages will be had while there. Might even get to do some biking with Denny.
Time to shower for the 2nd time today. Just finished my morning workouts and need to get some work done now.
D-Town out
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Pictures of weight loss difference.
Alright I have to admit, it is just a little embarrasing putting these photos on here but even with my man-boobs I wanted to put them here to possibly help inspire someone else who is wanting to lose weight but just hasn't found the motivation to do it.
So here you go. Laugh away.
As I stated in my blog post yesterday I lost 6" in waist size. Went from 36" pants to 30". Neck size has shrunk by at least 1 1/2" and probably closer to 2". I wish I had taken some earlier measurements of my thighs. I know they have shrank a considerable amount but have no measurements to go by. As you can see the man-boobs did shrink a cup size or 2.
Well thats all I have for tonight. I'm off to bed.
Darren
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Broke 170 pounds on Saturday 7/9/2011
Good afternoon everyone!!!
Hope you all are enjoying your weekend and its not as hot wherever you may be as it is here in Hutchinson.
I finally broke the 170 pound mark today. I can't even remember last time I weighed less than 170 pounds. Although that weight was after a 7 mile bike ride and 2 mile walk and run I still broke that barrier and couldn't be more excited. That is officially 47 pounds of weight loss since January 8-9 of this year. I have lost right at 6" around my waist, you can see my ears when your looking straight at me (Michele Deviney will get this), about 1 1/2" off my neck. I feel better, look better and all around a healthier person. I may not have added any years to the end of my life but I definitely will be able to enjoy my life more with this weight loss. I enjoy walking with Dylan or pulling him in his wagon where that was a chore before. I have enjoyed looking at the old buildings around Hutch as I am riding the bike. Today I raced an Amish guy driving a tractor from Ave A to 11th St. I won. Darn near blew his beard off him as I passed him. The racing and winning part are a true story. The beard part not sure about. That darn tractor was fast. That race was about 14-15 blocks and near the end of my 7 mile ride so he clearly had the advantage. lol.
I am going to try and get pictures up this weekend of now and when I took my first pictures when I was still around 208-210. I am still not where I want to be however. I still want to tone up more and 'unbury' the 6 pack that I believe is hiding under the small layer of gut that is still there. So the pictures will show a huge difference due to the weight loss but I am still not where I want to be muscle wise. That is my next project. I would like to keep my weight in the 170-175 area but build muscle and burn more fat. I have taken my body fat % from about 32% to 14-15% already which by my calculations means a 'FAT' loss of 43.94 pounds. So knowing I have lost 47 pounds I have only lost about 3 pounds of muscle. Or it could be the part of the beard I shaved off also. Who knows. Anyways that is really more technical than I wanted to be.
I need to get off of here but will try and get pictures posted this weekend. You all have a great weekend
Darren
Hope you all are enjoying your weekend and its not as hot wherever you may be as it is here in Hutchinson.
I finally broke the 170 pound mark today. I can't even remember last time I weighed less than 170 pounds. Although that weight was after a 7 mile bike ride and 2 mile walk and run I still broke that barrier and couldn't be more excited. That is officially 47 pounds of weight loss since January 8-9 of this year. I have lost right at 6" around my waist, you can see my ears when your looking straight at me (Michele Deviney will get this), about 1 1/2" off my neck. I feel better, look better and all around a healthier person. I may not have added any years to the end of my life but I definitely will be able to enjoy my life more with this weight loss. I enjoy walking with Dylan or pulling him in his wagon where that was a chore before. I have enjoyed looking at the old buildings around Hutch as I am riding the bike. Today I raced an Amish guy driving a tractor from Ave A to 11th St. I won. Darn near blew his beard off him as I passed him. The racing and winning part are a true story. The beard part not sure about. That darn tractor was fast. That race was about 14-15 blocks and near the end of my 7 mile ride so he clearly had the advantage. lol.
I am going to try and get pictures up this weekend of now and when I took my first pictures when I was still around 208-210. I am still not where I want to be however. I still want to tone up more and 'unbury' the 6 pack that I believe is hiding under the small layer of gut that is still there. So the pictures will show a huge difference due to the weight loss but I am still not where I want to be muscle wise. That is my next project. I would like to keep my weight in the 170-175 area but build muscle and burn more fat. I have taken my body fat % from about 32% to 14-15% already which by my calculations means a 'FAT' loss of 43.94 pounds. So knowing I have lost 47 pounds I have only lost about 3 pounds of muscle. Or it could be the part of the beard I shaved off also. Who knows. Anyways that is really more technical than I wanted to be.
I need to get off of here but will try and get pictures posted this weekend. You all have a great weekend
Darren
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Just popping in
Hello from Hutchinson!
Just wanted to pop in with a few comments. First I would like to say I am about 1.5 pounds from my goal weight of 170. Heck yea! Nearly 50 pounds in 6 months. Not bad for an old fat bald guy huh. It feels good. I feel good. I'm glad I can keep up with Dylan now who is full speed about anywhere we go now.
I know I have already posted this but my first fight will be July 23rd. Going to be at Good Time Charlies just outside of Chillicothe, MO. Text, call, Facebook me or my brother Derek if you need a ticket. Still have several General Admission tickets and some table tickets for sale. By the way, thanks Derek for helping me out getting people their tickets. For those of you traveling there be safe and thanks for supporting me.
On that subject, I must say from my very first posting of my plans I have only had a few people say 'You're Crazy'. No one has tried to talk me out of this. Wouldn't have worked and I'm sure the people who least like the idea knew that! So I say thanks for all the support shown over the last 6 months. It means a lot to have so many people behind me and excited to see what happens on July 23rd.
Well that's it for today folks
Just wanted to pop in with a few comments. First I would like to say I am about 1.5 pounds from my goal weight of 170. Heck yea! Nearly 50 pounds in 6 months. Not bad for an old fat bald guy huh. It feels good. I feel good. I'm glad I can keep up with Dylan now who is full speed about anywhere we go now.
I know I have already posted this but my first fight will be July 23rd. Going to be at Good Time Charlies just outside of Chillicothe, MO. Text, call, Facebook me or my brother Derek if you need a ticket. Still have several General Admission tickets and some table tickets for sale. By the way, thanks Derek for helping me out getting people their tickets. For those of you traveling there be safe and thanks for supporting me.
On that subject, I must say from my very first posting of my plans I have only had a few people say 'You're Crazy'. No one has tried to talk me out of this. Wouldn't have worked and I'm sure the people who least like the idea knew that! So I say thanks for all the support shown over the last 6 months. It means a lot to have so many people behind me and excited to see what happens on July 23rd.
Well that's it for today folks
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
July 23rd---It's official
Well it is official. My first fight will be July 23rd just outside Chillicothe, MO. Going to be at Good Time Charlies. The event is called Good Time Productions presents Barn Yard Brawls. If you need a ticket get in touch with me as I now have them. Tickets are $25 for General Admission and $45 for a table. Price of the ticket includes 15-20 fights and a live band afterwards.
For those of you who have been following these blogs you know this 'idea' started back in January. Actually the idea began well before that but I finally started the process of training and weight loss January 8th or 9th. I originally weighed in at 217 lbs at that time. On July 23rd I will enter the cage at or below 170 lbs. I have been weighing in this past week and again today under 175 so will have no problem making my weight.
Many people have asked even after reading my blogs---how did you do it? Most people say I can't diet, I don't have time, I don't like those foods, I can't give up my Coca-Cola. I say BS. The only thing I have had differently than most people is time. For those that have been reading you know I have been unemployed but the time was never an issue before. It's a choice. Simply put thats all it is. Nothing more.
It's a choice? Yes it most definitely is. It's a choice to pull through McDonalds. It's a choice to have that 1 more helping during your daily meals. And yes it most definitely is a choice to swing through Bogeys and get that ice cream shake. I love ice cream and I have had cravings for it for sure but I have found ways around my cravings. I use to eat pop tarts quite frequently in the morning. A single pop tart had 200 calories in it and tons of sugar and carbs. Most people eat 2 because there are 2 in the package. 400 calories twice the sugar and carbs and you haven't even had a drink yet. I no longer eat pop tarts except on a very rare occasion. I have replace those with wheat toast and reduced sugar jelly. Some of you are already saying reduced sugar? Yes and trust me you can't tell the difference. If I took the label off of it you would not know. The wheat toast is 50 cal/slice. The jelly is 20 cal/ts. I could eat 6 pieces of toast and jelly almost in comparison to the 2 pop tarts. However I don't. I eat 1-2 pieces and drink a protein shake most days but for those days you were really starving you could eat more. Thats breakfast. Not everyday though. There are many other healthy things you can eat. Way better than any fast food or convenience store snack. Its just a matter of having it there when you want it. I do like Subway and have changed my sandwich there to be just as big but less calories and fat. 6"turkey or turkey and ham does it everytime for me. Loaded with vegetables and spicy mustard and vinegar. Can't go wrong. And less than 6 grams of fat they say. Compare that to Chicken McNuggets and fries!!! I know because I ate that last Friday. The 2 combined had over 50 grams of fat and approximately 900 calories in 1 meal. That did not include the Sweet Tea I rewarded myself with. Well none of it was really a reward when you think about how long you have to work out to burn it all off. Without eating out you can also save calories eating a turkey sandwich at home. Way cheaper and it just taste better. I eat when I am hungry, I just eat things that are healthier than I use to. I keep fruit, sliced turkey and bread around almost all the time. With those things I always have something healthy to eat with very little work. However when you don't keep the healthy things around is when you swing through Bogeys and get that shake!!! Trust me I know.
So that is pretty much a jumbled paragraph above but it tells the way I have changed my eating habits. I still occasionly make MISTAKES like last Friday but occasionly won't kill you. Eat that much fat and calories at every meal and I will be attending your funeral before long.
Obviously I workout quite a bit as well. However I now only workout about 1 hour a day most days. Think about how often you sit down flip on the tv and then say you don't have time to do it. I have been told you can do what I have done with just 30 minutes a day. It may take longer but 30 minutes a day can be during a lunch break, right after work, right before bed. Any 30 minutes you can find or exchange for the couch time will work. I have changed my workout many times since I started in January and still continue to lose weight and stay motivated so I know you can to!!! Now get up off that couch, dump that calorie induced soda down the drain and pull your kids around the block in their wagon! Just do it!
OUT,
Darren
For those of you who have been following these blogs you know this 'idea' started back in January. Actually the idea began well before that but I finally started the process of training and weight loss January 8th or 9th. I originally weighed in at 217 lbs at that time. On July 23rd I will enter the cage at or below 170 lbs. I have been weighing in this past week and again today under 175 so will have no problem making my weight.
Many people have asked even after reading my blogs---how did you do it? Most people say I can't diet, I don't have time, I don't like those foods, I can't give up my Coca-Cola. I say BS. The only thing I have had differently than most people is time. For those that have been reading you know I have been unemployed but the time was never an issue before. It's a choice. Simply put thats all it is. Nothing more.
It's a choice? Yes it most definitely is. It's a choice to pull through McDonalds. It's a choice to have that 1 more helping during your daily meals. And yes it most definitely is a choice to swing through Bogeys and get that ice cream shake. I love ice cream and I have had cravings for it for sure but I have found ways around my cravings. I use to eat pop tarts quite frequently in the morning. A single pop tart had 200 calories in it and tons of sugar and carbs. Most people eat 2 because there are 2 in the package. 400 calories twice the sugar and carbs and you haven't even had a drink yet. I no longer eat pop tarts except on a very rare occasion. I have replace those with wheat toast and reduced sugar jelly. Some of you are already saying reduced sugar? Yes and trust me you can't tell the difference. If I took the label off of it you would not know. The wheat toast is 50 cal/slice. The jelly is 20 cal/ts. I could eat 6 pieces of toast and jelly almost in comparison to the 2 pop tarts. However I don't. I eat 1-2 pieces and drink a protein shake most days but for those days you were really starving you could eat more. Thats breakfast. Not everyday though. There are many other healthy things you can eat. Way better than any fast food or convenience store snack. Its just a matter of having it there when you want it. I do like Subway and have changed my sandwich there to be just as big but less calories and fat. 6"turkey or turkey and ham does it everytime for me. Loaded with vegetables and spicy mustard and vinegar. Can't go wrong. And less than 6 grams of fat they say. Compare that to Chicken McNuggets and fries!!! I know because I ate that last Friday. The 2 combined had over 50 grams of fat and approximately 900 calories in 1 meal. That did not include the Sweet Tea I rewarded myself with. Well none of it was really a reward when you think about how long you have to work out to burn it all off. Without eating out you can also save calories eating a turkey sandwich at home. Way cheaper and it just taste better. I eat when I am hungry, I just eat things that are healthier than I use to. I keep fruit, sliced turkey and bread around almost all the time. With those things I always have something healthy to eat with very little work. However when you don't keep the healthy things around is when you swing through Bogeys and get that shake!!! Trust me I know.
So that is pretty much a jumbled paragraph above but it tells the way I have changed my eating habits. I still occasionly make MISTAKES like last Friday but occasionly won't kill you. Eat that much fat and calories at every meal and I will be attending your funeral before long.
Obviously I workout quite a bit as well. However I now only workout about 1 hour a day most days. Think about how often you sit down flip on the tv and then say you don't have time to do it. I have been told you can do what I have done with just 30 minutes a day. It may take longer but 30 minutes a day can be during a lunch break, right after work, right before bed. Any 30 minutes you can find or exchange for the couch time will work. I have changed my workout many times since I started in January and still continue to lose weight and stay motivated so I know you can to!!! Now get up off that couch, dump that calorie induced soda down the drain and pull your kids around the block in their wagon! Just do it!
OUT,
Darren
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Getting closer
Hello friends!
Today I am going to write a little more about me as well as a bit about a couple other people who have had the 'BUG'. When I say 'BUG' I mean the let’s get my butt off the couch and get in shape bug.
Although he doesn't know this yet, I will be asking my brother Denny to write a short blog for me to post here of how and why he chose to 'GET FIT'. Also about what kept him motivated. A friend of mine whom also worked for me at one point also has over the last couple months been bit by the 'BUG' and has been making great progress towards her fitness goals. Michele just posted I believe today or yesterday that she has set a goal of running her 1st 5k within the next year. Awesome work Michele and keep it up. I have also (already) asked Michele to write up her workout info, goals and what motivates her to add here. You will find all 3 of us have completely different reasons, workouts and motivations but nonetheless it is working for all 3 of us. Hopefully through reading one of our stories it will give you reason to find your own motivations and get the 'BUG'. Keep an eye out for these stories soon from Denny and Michele.
So, you’re reading my blog and you just read that I'm going to tell you more about me. You’re thinking oh Lord; I already know more than I want to. Maybe you’re thinking about the time I got beat senseless by a band of brothers in front of the Knights Hall, or the New Years Eve party on McVey St, or maybe even the gunshots at the Wing Ding. Well I'm not here to tell those stories. I'm here to talk about the Darren who is a single dad. The Darren who has been through heartbreak. The Darren who had everything and nothing at the same time. Hmmmm never heard these stories while sitting around drinking the brews?
Well here goes. So I am 37 yo single dad to the greatest little man on Earth in my eyes. I have been married, divorced, engaged, and dumped. That takes a toll on a man or even a woman for that matter. I have forgiven those people but found it hard to forgive myself. I worked for a company I loved and moved away from everything I knew for my job. I made great money for a guy with only a high school diploma. My company was bought by a larger company and like all larger companies do after buying smaller companies-they started closing stores, letting loyal employees go and turning the work over to 3rd parties. Just in the last few weeks my original store in Chillicothe, MO where I started was told there store would be closing at the end of the month. That store had been there for 20+ years and trust me when I say it was always busy. Well after the merger, I lost my love for the job I had. My management changed from the management I so wanted to work for when I came to Kansas to management that had no clue what my employees names were little lone that cared what there sales #'s were. I hope that has changed for the people who got to stay. Anyways during that time I didn't want to be there, I was going through my engagement breakup and other than my son had nothing that I loved anymore except for family and friends. On September 30th, 2010 I locked the door for the last time at a job I once loved that I no longer desired to be there. At this time I was at the heaviest weight I have ever been in my life.
So with the above paragraph or book however you look at it on September 30th, I became jobless, had just ended my sons custody case, was way overweight and away from home. Out of those things I am only still jobless!!! Hutchinson is home and I am even coming to enjoy that. Hutchinson is my son’s home therefore it is mine as well. I have shed 40+ pounds, can ride a bike farther than the driveway and am getting close to my high school physical condition. That is as close as I can for being 20 years older.
Getting to where I am today from where I was September 30th, 2010 has not been easy. There have been times I wanted to give up, or sit on the couch instead of head to the gym or jump on the bike. There were times I thought I would never reach my goal. There were times I just wanted to grab that Big Mac and say $@#% it. Every time I thought about quitting I remembered some words my parents, Denny, and Coach Long said to me when I wanted to quit wrestling my senior year of high school. I also thought about my son and how I would explain to him how I had set a goal and gave up after getting so close to attaining the goal. How could I ever expect him to not quit if I set that standard for him.
I will not sit here and tell anyone it is easy to lose weight. It is hard work but the reward is well worth the hard work and time spent in the gym, on the bike, running, walking or whatever you do to lose your weight and get fit. For me I had to set goals and have rewards for myself along the way. One of my rewards was a new pair of shoes. It was all the motivation I needed to get to my next weight goal. Workout partners are a great thing to have as well. I had a regular workout partner for about the first month or so. After that I have primarily done all my workouts alone. It is much easier though when you have that other person who counts on you to be there as well as you count on them.
For those of you who have kept up with my blogs you know the end result to my weight loss goals is to fight at least one MMA fight. I plan to fight at 170 lbs. Right now I have a fight scheduled for July 23rd, however I am working through some issues with that. I will let you all know as I know more in regards to that.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned!
Darren
Today I am going to write a little more about me as well as a bit about a couple other people who have had the 'BUG'. When I say 'BUG' I mean the let’s get my butt off the couch and get in shape bug.
Although he doesn't know this yet, I will be asking my brother Denny to write a short blog for me to post here of how and why he chose to 'GET FIT'. Also about what kept him motivated. A friend of mine whom also worked for me at one point also has over the last couple months been bit by the 'BUG' and has been making great progress towards her fitness goals. Michele just posted I believe today or yesterday that she has set a goal of running her 1st 5k within the next year. Awesome work Michele and keep it up. I have also (already) asked Michele to write up her workout info, goals and what motivates her to add here. You will find all 3 of us have completely different reasons, workouts and motivations but nonetheless it is working for all 3 of us. Hopefully through reading one of our stories it will give you reason to find your own motivations and get the 'BUG'. Keep an eye out for these stories soon from Denny and Michele.
So, you’re reading my blog and you just read that I'm going to tell you more about me. You’re thinking oh Lord; I already know more than I want to. Maybe you’re thinking about the time I got beat senseless by a band of brothers in front of the Knights Hall, or the New Years Eve party on McVey St, or maybe even the gunshots at the Wing Ding. Well I'm not here to tell those stories. I'm here to talk about the Darren who is a single dad. The Darren who has been through heartbreak. The Darren who had everything and nothing at the same time. Hmmmm never heard these stories while sitting around drinking the brews?
Well here goes. So I am 37 yo single dad to the greatest little man on Earth in my eyes. I have been married, divorced, engaged, and dumped. That takes a toll on a man or even a woman for that matter. I have forgiven those people but found it hard to forgive myself. I worked for a company I loved and moved away from everything I knew for my job. I made great money for a guy with only a high school diploma. My company was bought by a larger company and like all larger companies do after buying smaller companies-they started closing stores, letting loyal employees go and turning the work over to 3rd parties. Just in the last few weeks my original store in Chillicothe, MO where I started was told there store would be closing at the end of the month. That store had been there for 20+ years and trust me when I say it was always busy. Well after the merger, I lost my love for the job I had. My management changed from the management I so wanted to work for when I came to Kansas to management that had no clue what my employees names were little lone that cared what there sales #'s were. I hope that has changed for the people who got to stay. Anyways during that time I didn't want to be there, I was going through my engagement breakup and other than my son had nothing that I loved anymore except for family and friends. On September 30th, 2010 I locked the door for the last time at a job I once loved that I no longer desired to be there. At this time I was at the heaviest weight I have ever been in my life.
So with the above paragraph or book however you look at it on September 30th, I became jobless, had just ended my sons custody case, was way overweight and away from home. Out of those things I am only still jobless!!! Hutchinson is home and I am even coming to enjoy that. Hutchinson is my son’s home therefore it is mine as well. I have shed 40+ pounds, can ride a bike farther than the driveway and am getting close to my high school physical condition. That is as close as I can for being 20 years older.
Getting to where I am today from where I was September 30th, 2010 has not been easy. There have been times I wanted to give up, or sit on the couch instead of head to the gym or jump on the bike. There were times I thought I would never reach my goal. There were times I just wanted to grab that Big Mac and say $@#% it. Every time I thought about quitting I remembered some words my parents, Denny, and Coach Long said to me when I wanted to quit wrestling my senior year of high school. I also thought about my son and how I would explain to him how I had set a goal and gave up after getting so close to attaining the goal. How could I ever expect him to not quit if I set that standard for him.
I will not sit here and tell anyone it is easy to lose weight. It is hard work but the reward is well worth the hard work and time spent in the gym, on the bike, running, walking or whatever you do to lose your weight and get fit. For me I had to set goals and have rewards for myself along the way. One of my rewards was a new pair of shoes. It was all the motivation I needed to get to my next weight goal. Workout partners are a great thing to have as well. I had a regular workout partner for about the first month or so. After that I have primarily done all my workouts alone. It is much easier though when you have that other person who counts on you to be there as well as you count on them.
For those of you who have kept up with my blogs you know the end result to my weight loss goals is to fight at least one MMA fight. I plan to fight at 170 lbs. Right now I have a fight scheduled for July 23rd, however I am working through some issues with that. I will let you all know as I know more in regards to that.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned!
Darren
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
What a long Holiday weekend
Hello everyone!
Hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. I had the opportunity to get away and do some camping and boating over the holiday weekend. Was planning on staying until Monday but came home on Sunday evening due to weather and high winds.
On Friday morning I found out that my Uncle Harry had passed away, so I made the trip to Kansas City, MO for his funeral yesterday. This was the 4th of my mothers siblings to pass. Although I made the trip for reasons I would rather not have, I did enjoy spending sometime with my family. Dylan again took to PaPa real quick. Derek, Marcy, Dylan and I spent some time in Big L and Tracy's pool. Kelley and I then went for a few drinks that evening and solved half the worlds problems--I think. Today Dylan and I hit the road for Hutchinson and was home by early afternoon.
I always feel terrible when Dylan and I have to leave to come back home. When I moved to Kansas it was intended to be temporary--however after Dylan entered my life Kansas has become my home. My mom is not really OK with us being so far away but she understands my commitment to my son and I'm sure would ground me for life if I did anything else differently.
So, July 23rd looks like it will be the big day. If all works out I will be making my 1st appearance in a MMA ring. Training had been going well until today when the gym owner 'kicked' us out again. Tomorrow I will be looking for a new place to train as I can't count on this gym. The last couple weeks I had got in some really good workouts and was beginning to build some stamina in the ring. Hopefully I can find a place to train and keep building on that.
Well I need to get but I will keep you all posted on whats going on.
Darren
Hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. I had the opportunity to get away and do some camping and boating over the holiday weekend. Was planning on staying until Monday but came home on Sunday evening due to weather and high winds.
On Friday morning I found out that my Uncle Harry had passed away, so I made the trip to Kansas City, MO for his funeral yesterday. This was the 4th of my mothers siblings to pass. Although I made the trip for reasons I would rather not have, I did enjoy spending sometime with my family. Dylan again took to PaPa real quick. Derek, Marcy, Dylan and I spent some time in Big L and Tracy's pool. Kelley and I then went for a few drinks that evening and solved half the worlds problems--I think. Today Dylan and I hit the road for Hutchinson and was home by early afternoon.
I always feel terrible when Dylan and I have to leave to come back home. When I moved to Kansas it was intended to be temporary--however after Dylan entered my life Kansas has become my home. My mom is not really OK with us being so far away but she understands my commitment to my son and I'm sure would ground me for life if I did anything else differently.
So, July 23rd looks like it will be the big day. If all works out I will be making my 1st appearance in a MMA ring. Training had been going well until today when the gym owner 'kicked' us out again. Tomorrow I will be looking for a new place to train as I can't count on this gym. The last couple weeks I had got in some really good workouts and was beginning to build some stamina in the ring. Hopefully I can find a place to train and keep building on that.
Well I need to get but I will keep you all posted on whats going on.
Darren
Thursday, May 19, 2011
I'm back!
Hello all,
I am back! Have not written in a while so before leaving town for the weekend thought I would post a little of whats been going on.
In the last few weeks I have spoke with 3 different fight promoters. My 1st (maybe only) fight will most definitely be in North Missouri. I have the possibility of fighting on June 18th but thinking thats not going to work. If all works out the way I am hoping my fight will be just outside Chillicothe on July 23rd or there about. Still waiting on confirmation of that. So mark that date on your calendar and lets hope it happens.
The last few weeks I had not been training except for weight lifting and cardio at the gym. My body needed a break. I have been holding strong at 178 give or take. I have been getting outside and riding the bike quite a bit and must say I enjoy that during the nice weather way more than the gym, however I feel like I get a better workout at the gym. Maybe its mind game who knows.
Away from fighting I want to talk about my son and camping. Dylan started daycare around the 1st of April when I started looking for work (still looking by the way). He had a rough few weeks getting started and it was tough on me as well. I really enjoyed the days we spent together and definitely miss them now. I know he needs to be around other kids though and I need to FIND A JOB. Over the last couple weeks he has been doing really good according to the daycare. I really like the daycare he is going to and the staff. They do really good of keeping me informed of his day to day activities, attitude, what he ate etc. Plus the fact its just about 2 blocks away from my house.
Dylan has been growing so fast. He's talking jibberish all the time and I wonder if he is cussing me out and telling me how good a daddy I am. Hopefully soon I will know what he is saying. He's running like crazy and destroying things faster than I can put them back together---I just keep reminding myself a short 35 years ago I was doing these same things. Sorry mom and dad.
Moving on to camping. Last fall I bought a pop-up camper and all winter was itching to get it out and go camping. I finally got that opportunity the last weekend in April. Went to Wilson lake for the weekend. My older brother Denny was coming out as well for a mountain bike race. Was good to actually see him in Kansas!!!! hint hint. I must say its amazing the hobbies people have. Not for sure how many 'bikers' were there but had to be at least a hundred or so. These guys rode 21 miles throughout the hills of Wilson lake. 1 guy broke his leg. Denny finished 1st in his class and age bracket. He finished about 1 second ahead of a guy that camped right next to me all weekend. For any of you wondering about 'watching' a mountain bike race--I will say its not really a spectator sport other than watching the start and finish. However, it was kinda neat to see the people working on their bikes and the preparation that went into a 21 mile mountain bike ride.
Next weekend for the Memorial Day weekend I will be heading either to Milford Lake near Junction City, KS or Kanopolis Lake just a 40 minute drive north of me. Most people go camping to get away from work, everyday life, the hustle and bustle of living in the city. I am going camping to forget I don't have a job. I have been off just about 8 months now and it is starting to drive me crazy. It was fun when Dylan was still staying at home with me everyday but now its just me and I'm bored. Anyways, I have to say I love camping. I love the campfires, the wildlife, the lakes, the streams, the s'mores. For anyone that hasn't tried it, pack your bags and go. Just once. Heck now that I got my popup I will loan you my tent and airbed.
Well, I gotta get.
I am back! Have not written in a while so before leaving town for the weekend thought I would post a little of whats been going on.
In the last few weeks I have spoke with 3 different fight promoters. My 1st (maybe only) fight will most definitely be in North Missouri. I have the possibility of fighting on June 18th but thinking thats not going to work. If all works out the way I am hoping my fight will be just outside Chillicothe on July 23rd or there about. Still waiting on confirmation of that. So mark that date on your calendar and lets hope it happens.
The last few weeks I had not been training except for weight lifting and cardio at the gym. My body needed a break. I have been holding strong at 178 give or take. I have been getting outside and riding the bike quite a bit and must say I enjoy that during the nice weather way more than the gym, however I feel like I get a better workout at the gym. Maybe its mind game who knows.
Away from fighting I want to talk about my son and camping. Dylan started daycare around the 1st of April when I started looking for work (still looking by the way). He had a rough few weeks getting started and it was tough on me as well. I really enjoyed the days we spent together and definitely miss them now. I know he needs to be around other kids though and I need to FIND A JOB. Over the last couple weeks he has been doing really good according to the daycare. I really like the daycare he is going to and the staff. They do really good of keeping me informed of his day to day activities, attitude, what he ate etc. Plus the fact its just about 2 blocks away from my house.
Dylan has been growing so fast. He's talking jibberish all the time and I wonder if he is cussing me out and telling me how good a daddy I am. Hopefully soon I will know what he is saying. He's running like crazy and destroying things faster than I can put them back together---I just keep reminding myself a short 35 years ago I was doing these same things. Sorry mom and dad.
Moving on to camping. Last fall I bought a pop-up camper and all winter was itching to get it out and go camping. I finally got that opportunity the last weekend in April. Went to Wilson lake for the weekend. My older brother Denny was coming out as well for a mountain bike race. Was good to actually see him in Kansas!!!! hint hint. I must say its amazing the hobbies people have. Not for sure how many 'bikers' were there but had to be at least a hundred or so. These guys rode 21 miles throughout the hills of Wilson lake. 1 guy broke his leg. Denny finished 1st in his class and age bracket. He finished about 1 second ahead of a guy that camped right next to me all weekend. For any of you wondering about 'watching' a mountain bike race--I will say its not really a spectator sport other than watching the start and finish. However, it was kinda neat to see the people working on their bikes and the preparation that went into a 21 mile mountain bike ride.
Next weekend for the Memorial Day weekend I will be heading either to Milford Lake near Junction City, KS or Kanopolis Lake just a 40 minute drive north of me. Most people go camping to get away from work, everyday life, the hustle and bustle of living in the city. I am going camping to forget I don't have a job. I have been off just about 8 months now and it is starting to drive me crazy. It was fun when Dylan was still staying at home with me everyday but now its just me and I'm bored. Anyways, I have to say I love camping. I love the campfires, the wildlife, the lakes, the streams, the s'mores. For anyone that hasn't tried it, pack your bags and go. Just once. Heck now that I got my popup I will loan you my tent and airbed.
Well, I gotta get.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Well its 1am and I can't sleep
Hello everyone!
I have been laying in bed tossing and turning since about 1030. Not unusual for me to toss and turn for quite sometime for falling off into dreamland but really? It's 1am.
Update on training and weight. I weighed tonight at 187.2. Hoping to hit 185 by the weekend and maintain it through the weekend. 183-184 would make me even happier but 185 would be OK. The training has been taken to a new level!!! We had been practicing at Genesis and had to move out due to the building we were in renting out. So we have moved to South Hutchinson in a true boxing gym. The intensity is well above where we had been and the workouts are much harder. Obviously this is a good thing but my body wasn't quite ready for it. I'm sure after a couple weeks though I will look back and see the weight shed, sweat, pain and speed increases and know it was all worth it. While I was home I got to visit with my buddy Levi over the course of an hour while on a stationary bike on Friday and my older brother Denny on Saturday. Levi and I haven't worked out together in probably 7-8 years and my brother and I probably haven't worked out together since February of 1992. I enjoyed both workouts and time spent with Levi and Denny both. Missed the gym on Sunday and Monday but was back at it on Tuesday for 2 good hours in the morning and 2 hours at practice during the evening. I finally got started into the weights and found a good app on my phone to help keep me at it. JEFIT.com. They have Android applications at this time as well as the web version. For those of you into weight lifting check it out!!! Also several of you have mentioned my post on Facebook from CardioTrainer. This is another awesome application I have found. Tracks and records all workouts whether it be stationary bikes, outdoor bike riding, walking, running and even boxing!!! Even puts a little medal on my phones desktop with calories burned for the past 7 days. So if I don't work out for a day my calorie burn goes down as well as the COLOR of my medal. Seems funny that the color of a medal on a phone display keeps me going but it truly is a good reminder that if I want to reach my goal I got to get my butt up and go. I must confess I didn't find this on my own. 2 people on my facebook kept posting there workouts and I started checking into it. Awesome application. As for posting the workouts of mine on facebook I'm not looking for a reward but the motivation I get from people who text or call and say don't give up. Trust me there have been a couple times when I thought---I'm 37, this hurts, it wears me out, I don't heal like I use to, and that maybe even I would quit. Then the little guy on my shoulder says---Darren, if you quit how can you ever tell Dylan not to quit. I'm not a quitter, never have been and I'm not going to start 'quitting' at 37. So the motivation I get from those text and calls really helps. Thanks.
Well that is one long paragraph that I'm sure any English teacher would suspend me for but thanks for sticking with me through it. Moving along.
As several of you know, on Thursday morning Dylan and I headed for lower ground in the great state of Missouri. OK, Kansas people it's my home state. It is great no matter what you think. Kansas is my new home and where my son is from if that helps you all! My parents also made it home from the wintering time in Texas just a couple hours after I made it home. I got to spend time with all of my siblings as well and my Aunt Joy and Uncle Augie. So made for a great trip home. I know I have said it before but I truly am blessed to have the family that I do. Not sure to many others could handle me. Great news is on Friday all my siblings and myself got to hangout over a drink or 10 and NO ONE GOT ARRESTED--that we know of. Sunday I got to enjoy mom's Sunday meal with all my family. Sundays at my parents are something I miss a lot so trust me when I say I would have eaten rotten bologna with my family just to be there. On Monday morning Dylan and I were packed and ready to go by 9am. Our trip home was something I will remind Dylan about til the day I leave this world. I'm going to tell you all right now! Topeka, KS is about the halfway point between Chillicothe, MO and Hutchinson, KS. So Topeka seems to be a good stopping point for Dylan on trips to or from Chillicothe. And let it stand that on 3/28/2011 it was to be our 1st stop on the trip back home to Hutchinson. We chose Quizno's in Topeka for lunch. Getting there was uneventful, leaving was VERY EVENTFUL. I was just almost finished eating and Dylan was still chomping on bread, turkey, tomato and I believe a Dorito. I noticed this elderly couple at the table next to us looking at Dylan with a look of disbelief on their face. Then I notice they put their sandwiches down. Dylan isn't choking---1st thing I thought when I seen their faces. At this point I catch an all to familiar whiff of something NOT GOOD. I think I better check his diaper when I notice his diaper is overflowing---out the back. Not just a little. So I quickly grab his bag and him and head for the bathroom. NO CHANGING TABLE. I put Dylan down to get wipes from his bag and a diaper when realize they won't really be much help.... wait he just leaned against the wall....need wipes. So as any normal man would do---I began to put together my game plan. I come up with 2 options. 1) I strip Dylan down and give him a bath in the sink---then strip myself down and we both run out naked. Me stripping was only so that I would be able to justify him naked outside in the cold weather. 2) I leave his clothes and mine on---with the overflowing diaper which has now reached about shoulder level to ankle level on him and made quite the mess of my sweatshirt as well and make a run for the door. Hmmm....what to do. Naked and clean or clothed and covered in the nasty stuff. Well fortunately for the lunch hour crowd we stayed clothed. We didn't pass go or collect anything from our table---we headed from the back of the restaurant to the front door and didn't look back. I got Dylan to the truck, shed my sweatshirt to cover my seat, held Dylan on it while trying to get the wipes out of the bag and got a diaper, then another and 1 more just to be safe. I got Dylan stripped down, clothes thrown on the ground, used about 75 wipes and the 3 diapers to hold them. Finally got a clean diaper on him. Threw my sweatshirt on the ground. Proceeded to clean Dylan up better as well as the seat of my truck. Found clean clothes in our bags and got him dressed and in his car seat. Finally things are looking up. I got the dirty diapers and wipes rounded up and in the back of my truck. Picked up all the dirty laundry on the ground and got it in the back of my truck and was ready to leave. As I went to put my truck into REVERSE the elderly couple came walking out!!!! I feel for them. I really do. I don't know whether they finished their lunch or not. I do know that the high chair had been moved when we made our getaway. Quiznos people I tried cleaning up best I could in the bathroom and I didn't leave the diapers laying in the road. I apologize and promise I will never be back there!!!
I remember after getting back on the highway just laughing to myself and thinking that is one great memory I will never forget. Trust me when I say Dylan will never forget it either.
Well its time for me to try sleeping again so til the next time,
Darren
I have been laying in bed tossing and turning since about 1030. Not unusual for me to toss and turn for quite sometime for falling off into dreamland but really? It's 1am.
Update on training and weight. I weighed tonight at 187.2. Hoping to hit 185 by the weekend and maintain it through the weekend. 183-184 would make me even happier but 185 would be OK. The training has been taken to a new level!!! We had been practicing at Genesis and had to move out due to the building we were in renting out. So we have moved to South Hutchinson in a true boxing gym. The intensity is well above where we had been and the workouts are much harder. Obviously this is a good thing but my body wasn't quite ready for it. I'm sure after a couple weeks though I will look back and see the weight shed, sweat, pain and speed increases and know it was all worth it. While I was home I got to visit with my buddy Levi over the course of an hour while on a stationary bike on Friday and my older brother Denny on Saturday. Levi and I haven't worked out together in probably 7-8 years and my brother and I probably haven't worked out together since February of 1992. I enjoyed both workouts and time spent with Levi and Denny both. Missed the gym on Sunday and Monday but was back at it on Tuesday for 2 good hours in the morning and 2 hours at practice during the evening. I finally got started into the weights and found a good app on my phone to help keep me at it. JEFIT.com. They have Android applications at this time as well as the web version. For those of you into weight lifting check it out!!! Also several of you have mentioned my post on Facebook from CardioTrainer. This is another awesome application I have found. Tracks and records all workouts whether it be stationary bikes, outdoor bike riding, walking, running and even boxing!!! Even puts a little medal on my phones desktop with calories burned for the past 7 days. So if I don't work out for a day my calorie burn goes down as well as the COLOR of my medal. Seems funny that the color of a medal on a phone display keeps me going but it truly is a good reminder that if I want to reach my goal I got to get my butt up and go. I must confess I didn't find this on my own. 2 people on my facebook kept posting there workouts and I started checking into it. Awesome application. As for posting the workouts of mine on facebook I'm not looking for a reward but the motivation I get from people who text or call and say don't give up. Trust me there have been a couple times when I thought---I'm 37, this hurts, it wears me out, I don't heal like I use to, and that maybe even I would quit. Then the little guy on my shoulder says---Darren, if you quit how can you ever tell Dylan not to quit. I'm not a quitter, never have been and I'm not going to start 'quitting' at 37. So the motivation I get from those text and calls really helps. Thanks.
Well that is one long paragraph that I'm sure any English teacher would suspend me for but thanks for sticking with me through it. Moving along.
As several of you know, on Thursday morning Dylan and I headed for lower ground in the great state of Missouri. OK, Kansas people it's my home state. It is great no matter what you think. Kansas is my new home and where my son is from if that helps you all! My parents also made it home from the wintering time in Texas just a couple hours after I made it home. I got to spend time with all of my siblings as well and my Aunt Joy and Uncle Augie. So made for a great trip home. I know I have said it before but I truly am blessed to have the family that I do. Not sure to many others could handle me. Great news is on Friday all my siblings and myself got to hangout over a drink or 10 and NO ONE GOT ARRESTED--that we know of. Sunday I got to enjoy mom's Sunday meal with all my family. Sundays at my parents are something I miss a lot so trust me when I say I would have eaten rotten bologna with my family just to be there. On Monday morning Dylan and I were packed and ready to go by 9am. Our trip home was something I will remind Dylan about til the day I leave this world. I'm going to tell you all right now! Topeka, KS is about the halfway point between Chillicothe, MO and Hutchinson, KS. So Topeka seems to be a good stopping point for Dylan on trips to or from Chillicothe. And let it stand that on 3/28/2011 it was to be our 1st stop on the trip back home to Hutchinson. We chose Quizno's in Topeka for lunch. Getting there was uneventful, leaving was VERY EVENTFUL. I was just almost finished eating and Dylan was still chomping on bread, turkey, tomato and I believe a Dorito. I noticed this elderly couple at the table next to us looking at Dylan with a look of disbelief on their face. Then I notice they put their sandwiches down. Dylan isn't choking---1st thing I thought when I seen their faces. At this point I catch an all to familiar whiff of something NOT GOOD. I think I better check his diaper when I notice his diaper is overflowing---out the back. Not just a little. So I quickly grab his bag and him and head for the bathroom. NO CHANGING TABLE. I put Dylan down to get wipes from his bag and a diaper when realize they won't really be much help.... wait he just leaned against the wall....need wipes. So as any normal man would do---I began to put together my game plan. I come up with 2 options. 1) I strip Dylan down and give him a bath in the sink---then strip myself down and we both run out naked. Me stripping was only so that I would be able to justify him naked outside in the cold weather. 2) I leave his clothes and mine on---with the overflowing diaper which has now reached about shoulder level to ankle level on him and made quite the mess of my sweatshirt as well and make a run for the door. Hmmm....what to do. Naked and clean or clothed and covered in the nasty stuff. Well fortunately for the lunch hour crowd we stayed clothed. We didn't pass go or collect anything from our table---we headed from the back of the restaurant to the front door and didn't look back. I got Dylan to the truck, shed my sweatshirt to cover my seat, held Dylan on it while trying to get the wipes out of the bag and got a diaper, then another and 1 more just to be safe. I got Dylan stripped down, clothes thrown on the ground, used about 75 wipes and the 3 diapers to hold them. Finally got a clean diaper on him. Threw my sweatshirt on the ground. Proceeded to clean Dylan up better as well as the seat of my truck. Found clean clothes in our bags and got him dressed and in his car seat. Finally things are looking up. I got the dirty diapers and wipes rounded up and in the back of my truck. Picked up all the dirty laundry on the ground and got it in the back of my truck and was ready to leave. As I went to put my truck into REVERSE the elderly couple came walking out!!!! I feel for them. I really do. I don't know whether they finished their lunch or not. I do know that the high chair had been moved when we made our getaway. Quiznos people I tried cleaning up best I could in the bathroom and I didn't leave the diapers laying in the road. I apologize and promise I will never be back there!!!
I remember after getting back on the highway just laughing to myself and thinking that is one great memory I will never forget. Trust me when I say Dylan will never forget it either.
Well its time for me to try sleeping again so til the next time,
Darren
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Untitled---Like a hidden track on a CD.
Hello world!
Today I have decided to write about the crazy world in which we live today. Here we are in the midst of several nations trying to topple their government, disasters in Japan, NFL lockout (mute issue compared to all the people suffering around the world), 10 year anniversary of the worst terrorist attacks on US soil among many other horrible things going on.
I will start with the people of Libya-these people are trying to overthrow a dictatorship who has been in charge for 4 decades. Now myself being anti-authority I applaud these people who demand change but I also look to our FREE country and wonder what would happen if we all said ENOUGH and tried to overthrow our government. Look at David Koresh and the Waco situation. Government went and burned the place down-several kids died without the understanding of what was going on. No one said lets kick our President out of office over that or we demand change. Now Koresh was a weirdo but as a college freshman I knew the government had handled that situation very badly. Still to this day I see the fire burning and a handful of people running for safety with their hands up. Horrible image. Anyways, back to Libya. Now our government has decided its time for this Ghadafi dude to go, along with several other nations. Why now? We attacked Saddam Hussein because he had WMD's never to be found by the best military in the world. HMMM. He was hung and killed in front of his people like they were attending a rock concert. Why is it our government gets to decide when these people are no longer capable of running their office? Because the Libyan people are tired of the ways of the Libyan ruler? So if Americans jumped up off the couch and said hey lets revolt against Obama, is he just expected to step down? Or are there going to be police, military, CIA, DEA , ATF, and every other government agency stepping in to protect the president and his office? Seems to me that if this were to happen people would be arrested, given prison terms, possibly shot and killed to protect the Office of the President of the United States and yet when it happens in another country we demand the ruler step down. I guess maybe I am confused. Maybe I just watch to much of the propaganda we see on television or the Internet.
Anyways give me your opinion on this and lets move on to my next subject!
Japan---Hey didn't you blow up thousands of our people on D-Day? Well here we are helping you all out and I agree with this. Japan has had a horrible tragedy and I think people of all races, faiths and beliefs should stand up and help out a nation who has been pummeled like Japan has. I mean they have had a major earthquake, tsunami, Nuclear reactors not behaving, aftershocks, food shortages and not to mention the thousands of lives lost and families torn apart due to the unbelievable destruction. I know there are Americans saying we shouldn't be there helping, but these are people not a nation. They are people hurting. They are people who have lost everything. They are people who will have generations that never live the same again. People help people. Its just the way its suppose to be. What I ask of those thinking we shouldn't be there helping---what if this was your family, what if this was your child, your grandma, your mother? I guarantee you would accept help whether the person was white, black, non English speaking, wearing a rag on their head, or holding an AK47. Well that's my take on Japan---be proud and support the people of Japan who are hurting.
Moving right along. Greatest American past time EVER. NFL. National Football League. $9 billion. Strike.
OK, so I am sure this really shouldn't be put on the same blog as Libya and Japan but this is my blog. Read it or don't. Nuf said. So I have said I side with the players and I still do. Yes they make crazy money but I feel they deserve it. Hopefully I remember to explain in a minute but this is how I look at it. Sam Walton. Remember him? I don't think the chain he built does but that's a whole different issue. Mr. Walton was not always a millionaire. He turned Wally World into the largest retail store chain in the nation. He became filthy rich and no one cared. That's the great part of living in the US. If you can dream it you can do it. So why can't a football player who has been practicing his craft since the time he learned to walk also become filthy rich doing what he does for a living? I believe that every NFL team is owned by someone who is a millionaire. These people became millionaires because they are business savvy or maybe just plain lucky. Either way they have hella cash. Jerry Jones has so much money he tells people how rich he is. I also think hes an asshole but whatever. So I think when the NFL said we are fighting over $9 billion I lost my respect for them. Not the players. Simple math for those of you who are numbers challenged---$9 billion. Owners last year got $1 billion off the top. That is 11.1% of the $9 billion. This year they want another $1 billion. Or what I look at as a 200% raise. Nice raise in these economic times and who wouldn't want that. When is the last time your boss said hey---GREAT NEWS we are going to give you a 200% raise. I think everyone should walk in on Monday and ask their boss for a 200% raise and see how it goes. Well some of you mathematicians have probably already figured out that if this were to happen with the owners getting their 200% raise that would also mean the players take an 11% PAY CUT. WHOA---now hold on boss. You want me to keep doing what I'm doing and you want to cut my pay by 11% while giving the owners a 200% raise? We need to talk cause now this shit isn't funny. So this is why I side with the players. Disregard the fact that we have multi-million $$$ contracts for the players. Have you read all the studies about the brain defects in football players from numerous hits to the head? Did you see the documentary on 'The Fridge'? Have you seen the retired players who are barely 40 walking with canes? Killing themselves? I could go on and on. Last time I went to an NFL game I spent well over $150 between ticket, parking pass, beer(s), hot dog, nachos, beer(s) and I had an awesome time. Now in my profession or lack there of right now that's a lot of money to spend but I did it and didn't care. I wanted to watch football. So I thought it was worth it. They entertained me. I paid for entertainment. Just like people did to watch Garth Brooks become one of the richest country 'ENTERTAINERS' of all time. No one complained about how much he made, they just kept buying his tickets, cd's, western shirts that looked like his and whatever other GARTH stuff they could spend their hard earned money on. So as entertainers, who cares how much a player gets paid. If you love football and spending Sunday afternoons on the couch watching football---who really cares how much a player makes. Apparently the NFL. Mr. Goodell I just don't get it. How could the league believe the players would settle for less of the pie while giving the owners 11% more also doubling their last years pay. IS anyone with me here? If the team owners were to manage their business, like I have to manage my money I think this would be different. Plan for tomorrow not just today. OK, so enough, actually way to much about the NFL. I will close this out with saying if you continue to be idiots I hope you end up arguing over $5 billion and lose $4 billion due to your stupidity.
Last subject---10 years since 9/11. Wow. I remember the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion like yesterday and was the 1st major event in my generations time if I remember correctly, but 9/11 is the first major catastrophe and loss of life during my generations time. The world changed that day and so did every American that ever said the Pledge of Allegiance, sang the words to the Star Spangled Banner or has enjoyed the freedoms we do as Americans. Now I know its not officially 10 years but I read an article in the news today talking about the building going up where the Trade towers stood. Its just hard to believe that 10 years have passed. Most anyone old enough to read this blog knows exactly where they were, who they first called, where they spent their morning, afternoon and evening that day. I do.
Well that's my ramblings for the day. I want to make clear---I have no intention of trying to overthrow my government---so Obama ninjas please stay where you are and leave me alone---I have an ex-fiance don't need ninjas causing me problems too. David Koresh was crazy. Japan needs our help. Libya is a mess. Roger Goodell should step down (by the way he did say if they went into a lockout that he would cut his salary to $1--wonder if that happened). 9/11 is a day we can't ever let happen again. Thanks to the people who have given their lives that allow me to write this blog and not worry about disappearing into NOWHERE I hope.
Well if you made it through all that---give me your opinions,
Darren
Today I have decided to write about the crazy world in which we live today. Here we are in the midst of several nations trying to topple their government, disasters in Japan, NFL lockout (mute issue compared to all the people suffering around the world), 10 year anniversary of the worst terrorist attacks on US soil among many other horrible things going on.
I will start with the people of Libya-these people are trying to overthrow a dictatorship who has been in charge for 4 decades. Now myself being anti-authority I applaud these people who demand change but I also look to our FREE country and wonder what would happen if we all said ENOUGH and tried to overthrow our government. Look at David Koresh and the Waco situation. Government went and burned the place down-several kids died without the understanding of what was going on. No one said lets kick our President out of office over that or we demand change. Now Koresh was a weirdo but as a college freshman I knew the government had handled that situation very badly. Still to this day I see the fire burning and a handful of people running for safety with their hands up. Horrible image. Anyways, back to Libya. Now our government has decided its time for this Ghadafi dude to go, along with several other nations. Why now? We attacked Saddam Hussein because he had WMD's never to be found by the best military in the world. HMMM. He was hung and killed in front of his people like they were attending a rock concert. Why is it our government gets to decide when these people are no longer capable of running their office? Because the Libyan people are tired of the ways of the Libyan ruler? So if Americans jumped up off the couch and said hey lets revolt against Obama, is he just expected to step down? Or are there going to be police, military, CIA, DEA , ATF, and every other government agency stepping in to protect the president and his office? Seems to me that if this were to happen people would be arrested, given prison terms, possibly shot and killed to protect the Office of the President of the United States and yet when it happens in another country we demand the ruler step down. I guess maybe I am confused. Maybe I just watch to much of the propaganda we see on television or the Internet.
Anyways give me your opinion on this and lets move on to my next subject!
Japan---Hey didn't you blow up thousands of our people on D-Day? Well here we are helping you all out and I agree with this. Japan has had a horrible tragedy and I think people of all races, faiths and beliefs should stand up and help out a nation who has been pummeled like Japan has. I mean they have had a major earthquake, tsunami, Nuclear reactors not behaving, aftershocks, food shortages and not to mention the thousands of lives lost and families torn apart due to the unbelievable destruction. I know there are Americans saying we shouldn't be there helping, but these are people not a nation. They are people hurting. They are people who have lost everything. They are people who will have generations that never live the same again. People help people. Its just the way its suppose to be. What I ask of those thinking we shouldn't be there helping---what if this was your family, what if this was your child, your grandma, your mother? I guarantee you would accept help whether the person was white, black, non English speaking, wearing a rag on their head, or holding an AK47. Well that's my take on Japan---be proud and support the people of Japan who are hurting.
Moving right along. Greatest American past time EVER. NFL. National Football League. $9 billion. Strike.
OK, so I am sure this really shouldn't be put on the same blog as Libya and Japan but this is my blog. Read it or don't. Nuf said. So I have said I side with the players and I still do. Yes they make crazy money but I feel they deserve it. Hopefully I remember to explain in a minute but this is how I look at it. Sam Walton. Remember him? I don't think the chain he built does but that's a whole different issue. Mr. Walton was not always a millionaire. He turned Wally World into the largest retail store chain in the nation. He became filthy rich and no one cared. That's the great part of living in the US. If you can dream it you can do it. So why can't a football player who has been practicing his craft since the time he learned to walk also become filthy rich doing what he does for a living? I believe that every NFL team is owned by someone who is a millionaire. These people became millionaires because they are business savvy or maybe just plain lucky. Either way they have hella cash. Jerry Jones has so much money he tells people how rich he is. I also think hes an asshole but whatever. So I think when the NFL said we are fighting over $9 billion I lost my respect for them. Not the players. Simple math for those of you who are numbers challenged---$9 billion. Owners last year got $1 billion off the top. That is 11.1% of the $9 billion. This year they want another $1 billion. Or what I look at as a 200% raise. Nice raise in these economic times and who wouldn't want that. When is the last time your boss said hey---GREAT NEWS we are going to give you a 200% raise. I think everyone should walk in on Monday and ask their boss for a 200% raise and see how it goes. Well some of you mathematicians have probably already figured out that if this were to happen with the owners getting their 200% raise that would also mean the players take an 11% PAY CUT. WHOA---now hold on boss. You want me to keep doing what I'm doing and you want to cut my pay by 11% while giving the owners a 200% raise? We need to talk cause now this shit isn't funny. So this is why I side with the players. Disregard the fact that we have multi-million $$$ contracts for the players. Have you read all the studies about the brain defects in football players from numerous hits to the head? Did you see the documentary on 'The Fridge'? Have you seen the retired players who are barely 40 walking with canes? Killing themselves? I could go on and on. Last time I went to an NFL game I spent well over $150 between ticket, parking pass, beer(s), hot dog, nachos, beer(s) and I had an awesome time. Now in my profession or lack there of right now that's a lot of money to spend but I did it and didn't care. I wanted to watch football. So I thought it was worth it. They entertained me. I paid for entertainment. Just like people did to watch Garth Brooks become one of the richest country 'ENTERTAINERS' of all time. No one complained about how much he made, they just kept buying his tickets, cd's, western shirts that looked like his and whatever other GARTH stuff they could spend their hard earned money on. So as entertainers, who cares how much a player gets paid. If you love football and spending Sunday afternoons on the couch watching football---who really cares how much a player makes. Apparently the NFL. Mr. Goodell I just don't get it. How could the league believe the players would settle for less of the pie while giving the owners 11% more also doubling their last years pay. IS anyone with me here? If the team owners were to manage their business, like I have to manage my money I think this would be different. Plan for tomorrow not just today. OK, so enough, actually way to much about the NFL. I will close this out with saying if you continue to be idiots I hope you end up arguing over $5 billion and lose $4 billion due to your stupidity.
Last subject---10 years since 9/11. Wow. I remember the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion like yesterday and was the 1st major event in my generations time if I remember correctly, but 9/11 is the first major catastrophe and loss of life during my generations time. The world changed that day and so did every American that ever said the Pledge of Allegiance, sang the words to the Star Spangled Banner or has enjoyed the freedoms we do as Americans. Now I know its not officially 10 years but I read an article in the news today talking about the building going up where the Trade towers stood. Its just hard to believe that 10 years have passed. Most anyone old enough to read this blog knows exactly where they were, who they first called, where they spent their morning, afternoon and evening that day. I do.
Well that's my ramblings for the day. I want to make clear---I have no intention of trying to overthrow my government---so Obama ninjas please stay where you are and leave me alone---I have an ex-fiance don't need ninjas causing me problems too. David Koresh was crazy. Japan needs our help. Libya is a mess. Roger Goodell should step down (by the way he did say if they went into a lockout that he would cut his salary to $1--wonder if that happened). 9/11 is a day we can't ever let happen again. Thanks to the people who have given their lives that allow me to write this blog and not worry about disappearing into NOWHERE I hope.
Well if you made it through all that---give me your opinions,
Darren
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