I knew one day I would wake up and be closer to 50 than I was 40, and even as my 46th anniversary of getting my newborn ass slapped like Cher playing tambourine passed today, it didn't bother me that much at all. While age *is* just a number, my aging body is beginning to realize what it's like for Father Time to beat your ass – well, like that whole Cher analogy in the first sentence. Circle of life baby, Hakuna Matata.
One thing that gave me ever so little bit of pause was realizing that I'm closer to 90 than I am to when I was a baby. Then, just as Tyler Durden flashed on-screen for a couple of frames foreshadowing the narrator's eventual demise, I bobbed my head to The Dust Brother's bass beat…
This Is Your Life, Good To The Last Drop
Now, many of you may not find a Brad Pitt-announced reminder of your mortality and eventual demise a pick-me-up, but I do. For me, knowing my time is limited – albeit with no knowledge of the exact expiration date – is the perfect Dr's palm-to-baby's-gluteus maximus to keep the spark in my step and fire in meh belleh.
Excuse me while I push B9 on the ‘ol jukebox; “This one's going to out my Space Monkeys wherever you are.”
(Note: expletive not deleted)
Making Every Drop Count
Tyler's final flash at the very, very end of the film was my favorite part; only it wasn't Mr. Durden in the frame – it was his handiwork. SPOILER ALERT Jack still existed, that 1/29th of a second reminded us what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Virescit Vulnere Virtus baby. OK, that was a bit of a stretch and gratuitous use of my Stewart clan motto, but my day, my rules.
I say let me never be complete, I say may I never be content – Tyler Durden
What drives you? Can you ever be content until you are complete? Are you “complete-enough” just the way you are? I can't answer that for you, but that's the cool part – you get to figure it out for yourself. What do you want? Do you want it bad enough to walk across hot coals to get it?
My fear of failure is overshadowed by my overwhelming desire to try something new; it's a near obsessive compulsion. I've failed over and over – fired from Blockbuster back in the 80's, a “business partner” arranging to have my 1969 Camaro stolen, a pretty difficult marriage #1, missing IPO's at three different start-ups – not one & done – I whiffed three times. But for every failure I've tried several new things that have lead to new passions, new friends & partners, crazy new business ventures that I've never imagined, (I'm a freaking fitness author? ME?) have made this psycho roller-coaster of life over the last 15 years just continue to get better. I'm happy, still scared a little about the future yet geeked to start on the next project. New challenges drive me, when I feel I'm content, that means it's time for the next one. What about you?
Epic Cheat Day
I make no segue nor offer any excuse for this next statement: I ate 4.2 million calories yesterday – an epic cheat day right in the middle of my SmashPlan. I totally blew 17 days of 1200 calories and constant exercise, right? Well, no.
A few years ago while writing 7 Weeks to 10 Pounds of Muscle, Jason and I were talking about what meal plans to include, and what we were currently doing or had worked the best. I was into month 2 of Tim Ferriss' 4 Hour Body and enjoying the format of the Slo-Carb Diet. I specifically liked the weekly cheat day as an opportunity to reset your metabolism and mind after a week of following a diet plan. Having a hall pass to a buffet is one thing – but you still need to have some structure to make sure you don't go off the rails and cheat day doesn't turn into “Cheat Weekend” because that quickly erodes any momentum you've built and puts you on track for a yo-yo weight gain.
The plan was to limit my window of gluttony to just a few hours – one meal and a few drinks – that's it. I didn't start off the day with a huge meal and keep rolling for 24 hours I knew we were having a B-Day party and a Brazilian steakhouse with all-you-can-eat food and figured (correctly) that I'd take in double my SmashPlan daily calories in one meal. I tried to remain cognizant of calories, but the tableside carving just kept coming with unrelenting gauchos and skewers and knives… The important thing for me is I ended it immediately after that, encapsulating that one epic cheat meal / birthday celebration into exactly what it was – a chance to enjoy myself, binge a little bit, and reset my metabolism and restore my mental focus for another two weeks of my SmashPlan.
What's a Streak Anyway?
I received a few queries from FB & email asking what I consider constitutes a “Streak.” Well, the official definition of a running streak, as adopted by the Streak Runners International, Inc., and United States Running Streak Association, Inc., is:
to run at least one mile (1.61 kilometers) within each calendar day. Running may occur on either the roads, a track, over hill and dale, or on a treadmill.
In my case, I'm trying to average a 5k each day, or 3.1 miles in order to hit over 1000 miles in 2017, but the streak itself will be kept alive with as little as 1 mile per day – I just need to add more miles on other days to keep the 5k/day average up. Right now I have a few extra miles built up from 4 or 5 mile runs and hope I don't run into a day where I need to cash 'em in to keep the average up.
—
About SmashPack
PERFORMANCE & RECOVERY FOOD EVOLVED! SmashPacks are the next evolution of specifically designed performance and recovery nutrition made from real foods – not chemicals. Professional athletes, at the pinnacle of physical fitness, fuel their performance with real food and so should you.
15% OFF SmashPack! – Click HERE to visit SMASHPACK’s Amazon store and receive 15% off your entire SMASHPACK purchase just enter the promo code: MUDRUN16 at checkout.
(Terms: One redemption per customer. Does not apply to orders placed with 1-Click. Promo code expires on 2/15/17 at 11:59pm PST.)
Leave A Comment