Giving Ho Hum the Heave Ho.

     So I had something happen the other say that absolutely mortified me. I was at the gym working on running a 5K on the treadmill. I hate the treadmill. I don't run well on it. And after talking to others I realize I'm not alone. For myself, when I run I'm all over the place. I dont run in a straight line, I zig zag all over. Also When I'm running outside, I can slow down or speed up as needed. I dont have to push buttons and figure out "Hmmm should I run 3.6 MPH Or 4.5"? I just run. Anyway I was on the treadmill, I had reached about 1.40 miles in 30 minutes. Not my best. I ran my last 5k in 38 minutes. So as I'm huffing and puffing along and sweating like a pig. I happened to glance up and looked at the really pretty girl in front of me, I smiled at her in the mirror and then being the suave graceful guy I am, I tripped. Yep I fell and slid down the belt. I was so humiliated.
 I went from

To

I just got my stuff and left.
     I was talking to my best friend about it later. I was so mad and embarrassed that it wasnt funny. "forget it I quit, I don't know what I'm doing, and I can't do it."  were just some of the crazy things I was saying/feeling. My body took no damage but my very fragile ego was cracked. My buddies response? Well it was more or less, "See Ho Hum." (He was referencing a conversation earlier in the day we had about me amping up my gym workout. He had said stop being so Ho Hum and bust my ass if I really wanna do this. He was right. I was being Ho Hum)  "You can either be the joke or embrace the joke". He pointed out. I was a bit annoyed at the time that he didn't see how shattering this was. Sometimes my vanity knows no bounds. After giving it some thought ( and more sulking time than I want to admit ) I saw that my friend was right. So here I am admitting that I nearly busted my rear end checking a cute girl out on a treadmill. If I'm gonna share my triumphs then in all fairness I should share my fails.
     Tomorrow I'm going back to the gym, and I'm giving the ho hums the heave ho. I may avoid the treadmill for a bit though. I learned not to take yourself SO seriously. (one of my biggest faults!) I am a big guy and I wear Batman shirts to the gym. I should be aware that I stand out a bit when I work out. At least this time it was for an attempt at being athletic and flirting. And part of ditching the ho hums is increasing my productivity at the gym while I am there. Come out sweating and heaving or don't go.  So I guess I may have to jump back on the treadmill, if I wanna take my own advice huh?  Damn it!

So Steve? What's up with the Batman Thing?

   

"Tune in Tomorrow same Bat-Time, same Bat-Channel". And these were the words that sent me scurrying to the next room. After looking around to make sure the cost was clear and that no one was watching, I would take my homemade Batman costume from its hiding spot. Hurriedly I would put it on to re enact the adventures I had just witnessed on the TV, with my brothers acting out the parts of villains. I secretly wish I could see that old costume today. I remember it being a Batman shirt, a pair of gray sweatpants (Later, tights that my Dad gave me. Yeah he was cool) with Batman underoos over them.  A pair of blue dress socks pulled up as boots, a pair of kitchen gloves my Nani gave me, and one of my moms favorite big blue bath towels I had cut up to make the cape. Topping it all of was my belt and a Batman Halloween mask. Obviously I have always been a slave to fashion. Then I would race around defending the streets of Gotham, until my Mom told me " For the love of God Steve please stop." My Dad would take on the role of Alfred and help me put the costume away, explaining that if Batman was seen all the time then the villains wouldn't be as afraid of him. Dad encourage imagination like that. He got it.
     Tomorrow is National Batman Day. This character who turns 75 this year has inspired a lot of people over the years. Me (as you well know) being one of them. I get asked often "What's the deal with the whole Batman thing"? My friend Brad once asked " Is it a sexual thing?" No it isn't. (Although I will say that for those who it is, there are at least two adult movies I'm aware of that they should see. For me it was just way too weird. Porn based on the Adam West Batman is just.......wrong.) For me, as a kid my love of Batman started because I could be Batman. He had no superpowers, just some really cool toys. I didn't need to be from another planet, I didn't need to be bitten by a spider. I could be a guy who runs around doing cool things in an awesome costume. As I got older the character changed and so did I. He got darker, edgier. And I liked that. I enjoyed the fact that he was as crazy as his villains. Something about it spoke to me. I also loved the fact that Bruce Wayne was the secret identity, not Batman. As someone who has always hidden my true self in the past I understood this.  Hey we all wear masks.
     So what made me use Batman as motivation for weight loss? Its easy. Batman is just a dude. A dude who worked his ass off to attain physical perfection. Sure he is loaded, and can afford the best toys. But that doesnt matter.My reasons are the same as when I was a child. I can be Batman. With an incredible amount of hard work I too can become more than I am. (There is even a book about what it would take to be Batman, what you would have to be able to do and such. ) Batman has cool toys in his cave that help him fight crime. I have cool toys at the gym that help me fight my own battle. He has an awesome costume that causes fear to criminals. I have some cool shirts that inspire me, and help me conquer my fear of being seen lifting in public. Batman has assistants that aide him in his quest. I have some amazing friends who support me as I embark on mine. Batman is a great example that when you put your mind to something and give it your all. Surrender your body, heart and soul to your goal and you can succeed. This gives me hope and an example to follow. I used Batman as an inspiration just yesterday. I was running on the elliptical and was trying to get a 5k in 30 minutes. I was getting tired and kinda just wanted to stop. I looked down at the Bat Symbol on my shirt and thought " What would Batman Do?" He would keep at it. So I played a game with myself and ran as if I was chasing a criminal. And you know what I ran a 5k in 29.02 minutes. That is my new best time. I felt amazing. Use what inspires you. I hope you all have a great National Batman Day tomorrow. Do something you think you can't, be your own hero.

Fatman and The Frustration Conundrum.

     The other day I hit a point where I was SO angry that it wasn't even funny. As I am trying to give the Fatman to Batman movement my best I decided that it was time I switched over to free weights so I could harness all the benefits they had to offer. Before that I used the machines. And man do I feel a difference. Im also proud of the fact that I have been doing amazing with the diet aspect of my endeavour.
     So I was feeling a bit proud because I have been getting some great compliments about how I look. And because I know I've lost some weight because my clothes fit me a lot better. So feeling like a million bucks I hopped up on the scale to see where I was at, in just a towel to get a fair reading. I have a wager with friends and needed to see where I was. I expected to see at least a 5 pound weight loss. I fiddled with the machine until it needle rested. 291! WHAT? 291? According to the scale not only did I not lose any weight from the last weigh, but I gained a pound. NOT POSSIBLE! I said to myself. I was livid. I knew that I had done very well. I did everything right. Yes I had the occasional food from the naughty list but not to the effect I was seeing here. I went out and still did my workout but my enthusiasm for the day was shot.
     I sat on the bench in the locker room livid texting my best friend before I showered. I was still so mad that I was legit holding back tears. I felt like I was failing hardcore. I am working so hard to not fail at this. I have tried before, done well and then slipped back to bad habits.To his credit, (and this is why he is my best friend) he let me fume for a while, bitch, rant whine and moan at him, then he told me to stop being so damn negative. Rob assured me that I'm not failing, that I'm just packing on muscle. I told him that I was giving this almost everything I had in me. " Then give it everything!" he responded. After I had my manic meltdown I paused and realized he was right. Muscle is heavier than fat. I don't how much FAT, but I know for sure that I have lost a lot. Rob is right I havent failed I have been succeeding the whole time. Just last night he and my friends Brad and Steph even looked at me and remarked at tmy slimming down.
     My point to this is don't beat yourself up like I did. Your body is going to fluctuate. you will have days where its up and where its down. Also educate yourself a bit more than I did about what happens during weight loss and weight lifting. I have turned my anger into rededication and educating myself on nutrition and how to get the most out of my workouts. Let your anger fuel you in cases like this. DONT GIVE IN TO YOUR INNER FATMAN. Times when you are weak are when he is strongest. Do what I did and get in touch with you team and get some back up. I wanna thank my team for always being there. Also the lovely ladies I work with because they reassured me as well that I'm not failing.  Peace out friends.

Something New.

     So Im trying something a little different. Taking on two of my goals I set for myself. Traveling and running in more 5ks. A couple of my friends and I are making plans to travel to Montreal next month.Its going to be a blast. We are going to go see some of the sites, try some of the local dishes, try to meet some cool people and just all in all have a fun time. While there I was hoping to maybe do a 5k, but much to my disappointment there were none.
     Then my friend suggested we make our own 5k. This idea appealed to me instantly. The three of us will be wearing our own Fatman to Batman custom made shirts while we run. So now we are working on a course to run our last day there. We are looking at having our run finish at the Mount Royal Summit which is a famous overlook in the Mount Royal Park in Montreal.
     As money has been tight, I'm using Go Fund Me to try to get some of the money to go. It all goes to covering the expenses of the trip. I'm putting a link to the page below please take some time and check it out. Any contributions are appreciated. Pics of the shirts as well as of the course will be posted soon. Please feel free to share the page as well. Thanks guys, it you who make this journey Im on fun.
Fatman to Batman Montreal

Update.

     Got some great ideas brewing, please stay tuned.  Until then here is a piece of advice for you. If you ever feel like you wanna skip the gym, go for just 10 minutes. Bust your butt was your there, and I will bet you find yourself there longer than you intended.