Monday- 3 miles- 23min easy
Tuesday-= 0 miles- Travel
Wednesday- 7.5miles- 60min
Independence!!!!!!!!!!! This day has new meaning this year as I am now officially a civilian. I was honorably discharged yesterday...thus truly a free and independent day. And no I did not shave this morning!
A few easy recovery days training -wise. The legs are coming back. Long drives didn't help, but I will be good to go tomorrow for a decent workout. Today I got "chicked" on the bike path running along at 8:00 mile pace when some fit gal ran right on past me. Just when I start to think I am in good shape. Honestly, today on the bike path I was around the biggest number of exercising/moving people ever (excluding a formal race). Pretty amazing. I wish it was always like that. Traveling I-95 lot recently...America is HUGELY fat.
Showing posts with label Army. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Army. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Changing Plans...Again
Tuesday- off- work interrupts, also tired
Wed- 8 miles 63min w/ 5 x striders
Well, I'm still in North camp... as my south camp trip got cancelled so I could perform some official investigation. I am an Army Officer..and because of that I have other job duties besides treating patients. In Egypt these have included: Being the building and Internet security manager for my company, performing controlled substance inventories, inspecting and inventorying the USA contingents bar, Driving along the Israel/Egypt border & climbing guard towers to confirm the presence of potential treaty violations via binoculars, and now reading Miranda rights to individuals and taking down sworn statements.
Some days you love it some days you hate it, but the Army is for certain...an interesting beast.
Wed- 8 miles 63min w/ 5 x striders
Well, I'm still in North camp... as my south camp trip got cancelled so I could perform some official investigation. I am an Army Officer..and because of that I have other job duties besides treating patients. In Egypt these have included: Being the building and Internet security manager for my company, performing controlled substance inventories, inspecting and inventorying the USA contingents bar, Driving along the Israel/Egypt border & climbing guard towers to confirm the presence of potential treaty violations via binoculars, and now reading Miranda rights to individuals and taking down sworn statements.
Some days you love it some days you hate it, but the Army is for certain...an interesting beast.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Not Your Average Patient
Tues PM- 8miles 64min
Wed AM- 5 miles- jog
Today has been an interesting day. It started off early as I was out at 5AM to Cheer on and motivate two of my fellow medical soldiers (one Doc, one Medic) as they attempted to and then completed the final task in a week long competition to earn the Army's EFMB. Their task today was a 12 mile ruck march in under 3 hours while carrying all their gear and a 40lbs ruck sack (or backpack for you non-military folks). They both did so, but were surprised just how hard it got after 2 hours. I have found that 2 hours of anything non-stop is hard. Even walking!
Then this afternoon we had a meet and greet with some pro football cheerleaders as a morale and welfare thing. Unfortunately one of them had twisted her knee in a show on their tour two days ago. (thus no show for us!) But, I did get to do a knee exam and dole out some medical advice on and to someone that is about a million times hotter than my normal patients. Sorry no photos...but it seems my Internet access is too poor to upload anything anyway. Bummer!
Tonight I'll do a 6xmile at threshold workout. I'm actually excited. I love that feeling of joyful anticipation I get when awaiting a workout. It only happens when I am training well and really INTO running again. I like it.
Tomorrow I'm off to the southcamp base for 8 days of treating patients there and running in the DIRT....or Egypt's crushed coral/sand equivalent.
Wed AM- 5 miles- jog
Today has been an interesting day. It started off early as I was out at 5AM to Cheer on and motivate two of my fellow medical soldiers (one Doc, one Medic) as they attempted to and then completed the final task in a week long competition to earn the Army's EFMB. Their task today was a 12 mile ruck march in under 3 hours while carrying all their gear and a 40lbs ruck sack (or backpack for you non-military folks). They both did so, but were surprised just how hard it got after 2 hours. I have found that 2 hours of anything non-stop is hard. Even walking!
Then this afternoon we had a meet and greet with some pro football cheerleaders as a morale and welfare thing. Unfortunately one of them had twisted her knee in a show on their tour two days ago. (thus no show for us!) But, I did get to do a knee exam and dole out some medical advice on and to someone that is about a million times hotter than my normal patients. Sorry no photos...but it seems my Internet access is too poor to upload anything anyway. Bummer!
Tonight I'll do a 6xmile at threshold workout. I'm actually excited. I love that feeling of joyful anticipation I get when awaiting a workout. It only happens when I am training well and really INTO running again. I like it.
Tomorrow I'm off to the southcamp base for 8 days of treating patients there and running in the DIRT....or Egypt's crushed coral/sand equivalent.
Monday, March 26, 2007
100 Days
Sunday Am- 3 miles Jog, PM- 8 miles 64min
Monday Am- slept in like a bum, PM- I will do Jack Daniels Rep workout
Today is an historic one in that I now have 100 days left in the Army (assuming things go as there are supposed to). I'd be more excited if I had more concrete things such as orders. None the less it is an exciting thought. I look forward to the little freedoms one gains by not serving in the military. Like: 1) I can get in my car and drive more than 200 miles away for my base without getting someone who out ranks me permission. 2) No one will tell me that I need to cut my hair, and 3) If I want to (or forget to) shave my face in the morning, no one is going to give me a hard time....except my wife...and I'm gonna work on you babe! :-)
Honestly I have had a clean shaven face and the same haircut for the last 10 years. I'm not sure if I know how to (or want to) do anything different. But, it is nice to have an option.
It is funny how our minds look at time. Now that the days left number is getting small it seems even harder. waaaaaaaaaaaaaah, 100 days!!!!!!!!!!!!! My gosh that is soooooooooo long. Yet, when I "only" had 7 months left it seemed more manageable. Not sure why that is.
New thought, after reading about The Trail Mule's exercise regimen of trying to do push ups/pull ups/ and sit ups. I was inspired to get my own self on a bit more of a regimen. I've been doing ab crunches on a swiss ball for a month now, but decided to switch to the supine bicycle. In scientific studies the supine bicycle (SB) exercise has been shown to be the best abdominal exercise in terms of muscle recruitment. A full 250% better than the standard Army sit up. So here is your challenge...perform the SB for 3 x 30sec bouts and see if the next day you are not sore.
Monday Am- slept in like a bum, PM- I will do Jack Daniels Rep workout
Today is an historic one in that I now have 100 days left in the Army (assuming things go as there are supposed to). I'd be more excited if I had more concrete things such as orders. None the less it is an exciting thought. I look forward to the little freedoms one gains by not serving in the military. Like: 1) I can get in my car and drive more than 200 miles away for my base without getting someone who out ranks me permission. 2) No one will tell me that I need to cut my hair, and 3) If I want to (or forget to) shave my face in the morning, no one is going to give me a hard time....except my wife...and I'm gonna work on you babe! :-)
Honestly I have had a clean shaven face and the same haircut for the last 10 years. I'm not sure if I know how to (or want to) do anything different. But, it is nice to have an option.
It is funny how our minds look at time. Now that the days left number is getting small it seems even harder. waaaaaaaaaaaaaah, 100 days!!!!!!!!!!!!! My gosh that is soooooooooo long. Yet, when I "only" had 7 months left it seemed more manageable. Not sure why that is.
New thought, after reading about The Trail Mule's exercise regimen of trying to do push ups/pull ups/ and sit ups. I was inspired to get my own self on a bit more of a regimen. I've been doing ab crunches on a swiss ball for a month now, but decided to switch to the supine bicycle. In scientific studies the supine bicycle (SB) exercise has been shown to be the best abdominal exercise in terms of muscle recruitment. A full 250% better than the standard Army sit up. So here is your challenge...perform the SB for 3 x 30sec bouts and see if the next day you are not sore.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Flags of Our Fathers
I just watched the movie Flags of our Fathers and Wow is all I have got to say. Maybe I am just a softy or maybe war movies affect me more because I have worn a uniform, I don't know. But, if you want to let a few tears role out take in this film. It is brilliantly graphic like Saving Private Ryan and touching like We were soldiers once and young, and tells it the way that I view it. Soldiers don't fight to spread freedom, they fight for each other. I have had the honor of working with my own generations war wounded and even been a long on VIP tours of the capital and the Pentagon. On both occasions I went to help those with amputations get on/off buses and negotiate curbs, stairs, ect. Nothing made me feel so uncomfortable as having huge crowds of people break into applause when we entered rooms on each tour. I am nothing special for sure and was along only to assist so I naturally felt odd, yet the guys I was assisting were just as uncomfortable with all the well wishing and HERO touting. Many many of the men and women I helped with rehab told me they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
My generation's war is not fought like previous ones. I treated soldiers who were blown up in their vehicles when driving in a long convoy. Their jobs were often as simple and as far away from a war fighter as you'd think one could get; like supply clerk, and truck gasoline refueler. These days we in the US Army never fight anyone straight up. We are simply too good, we have too much money, too fantastic of equipment, ect, ect. What gets us these days is unmanned, often unsophisticated improvised explosive devices (IED's) cowardly hidden where our troops travel. It is certainly not any less tragic. Perhaps even more so.
Watching a movie about previous wars has always made me think that my generation has got it good. And when you look at the staggering death toll numbers, you certainly can make the case that we do. Yet today, our battle practices and protective equipment is so much better, and our medical care and injured evacuation so many light years ahead of what it used to be, that the numbers killed has remained low. However, in Iraq for every one killed there are 9 severely injured. That means 28,000 and counting. And that is a big ugly number.
While I worked at Walter Reed I always felt a little bit guilty. Here I was working everyday with those that had been injured in "theater" (Iraq / Afghanistan) when I had never been. I even resisted getting and wearing the new army ACU uniform as it was mainly used by those who had been in the war. Initially it was like a badge of honor, and I did not want to wear it if I had not earned it. But, understand that the Army is a huge corporation one million strong with soldiers currently in over 120 different nations. We go where we are told. Currently I am in the Sinai, Egypt on a peace keeping mission. I am in the middle east. I am in an area where in the last 3 years 130 people have died at the had of Terrorists IED's and suicide bombs, but I am NOT in IRAQ. I feel pretty damn fortunate, but, I still have a little bit of guilt. Believe it or not, we have about 30 physical therapist serving in theater currently.
In a related topic, it has been interesting to read about all the hoopla with Walter Reed lately. And I am impressed with the big responses including the presidents today. I hope the problem gets fixed, but I can tell you the problem was not created by the latest General who got fired. He had been there only 6 months. The problem has existed for 4 years. To fix it you need to hire more people to process the paperwork and insure things are getting done (and not getting lost) , not fire people.
ahhh anyway, wasn't it Rodney King who said: "Can't we all just get along?" I like to hope so, but honestly, I don't think we can.
My generation's war is not fought like previous ones. I treated soldiers who were blown up in their vehicles when driving in a long convoy. Their jobs were often as simple and as far away from a war fighter as you'd think one could get; like supply clerk, and truck gasoline refueler. These days we in the US Army never fight anyone straight up. We are simply too good, we have too much money, too fantastic of equipment, ect, ect. What gets us these days is unmanned, often unsophisticated improvised explosive devices (IED's) cowardly hidden where our troops travel. It is certainly not any less tragic. Perhaps even more so.
Watching a movie about previous wars has always made me think that my generation has got it good. And when you look at the staggering death toll numbers, you certainly can make the case that we do. Yet today, our battle practices and protective equipment is so much better, and our medical care and injured evacuation so many light years ahead of what it used to be, that the numbers killed has remained low. However, in Iraq for every one killed there are 9 severely injured. That means 28,000 and counting. And that is a big ugly number.
While I worked at Walter Reed I always felt a little bit guilty. Here I was working everyday with those that had been injured in "theater" (Iraq / Afghanistan) when I had never been. I even resisted getting and wearing the new army ACU uniform as it was mainly used by those who had been in the war. Initially it was like a badge of honor, and I did not want to wear it if I had not earned it. But, understand that the Army is a huge corporation one million strong with soldiers currently in over 120 different nations. We go where we are told. Currently I am in the Sinai, Egypt on a peace keeping mission. I am in the middle east. I am in an area where in the last 3 years 130 people have died at the had of Terrorists IED's and suicide bombs, but I am NOT in IRAQ. I feel pretty damn fortunate, but, I still have a little bit of guilt. Believe it or not, we have about 30 physical therapist serving in theater currently.
In a related topic, it has been interesting to read about all the hoopla with Walter Reed lately. And I am impressed with the big responses including the presidents today. I hope the problem gets fixed, but I can tell you the problem was not created by the latest General who got fired. He had been there only 6 months. The problem has existed for 4 years. To fix it you need to hire more people to process the paperwork and insure things are getting done (and not getting lost) , not fire people.
ahhh anyway, wasn't it Rodney King who said: "Can't we all just get along?" I like to hope so, but honestly, I don't think we can.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Entering the blogger geek world
Hello and welcome to my blog! I have enjoyed many other athlete's blogs for months now and finally decided I had enough interesting things to post myself. So here I go!
I hope to give frequent updates on my training (goal race is the Vermont 100 mile endurance run July 21st) , as well as, give my day to day meditations from my current location (Sinai, Egypt) Where I serve as the physical therapist for the Multinational forces and observers http://www.mfo.org/ I am indeed a runner and it defines me.
Running has helped me gain confidence, and obtain goals in both athletic and educational arenas. I was driven to study the body and have always been amazed by what it could do and how it worked. This thirst for knowledge on the ultimate machine lead to studies in Biology, Physiology, and Physical Therapy at Ithaca College, The University of Virginia, and Baylor University. In 1997 I enlisted in the US Army and later, via ROTC, become an officer. I have served in MA, VA, TX, DC, and am currently in the Sinai, Egypt. Working with the Iraq war wounded while stationed at Walter Reed has been my life's most rewarding experience and in July 2007 I will be leaving the Army, moving to Richmond, and hope to begin working in the field of prosthetics.
Please enjoy and happy trails!
I hope to give frequent updates on my training (goal race is the Vermont 100 mile endurance run July 21st) , as well as, give my day to day meditations from my current location (Sinai, Egypt) Where I serve as the physical therapist for the Multinational forces and observers http://www.mfo.org/ I am indeed a runner and it defines me.
Running has helped me gain confidence, and obtain goals in both athletic and educational arenas. I was driven to study the body and have always been amazed by what it could do and how it worked. This thirst for knowledge on the ultimate machine lead to studies in Biology, Physiology, and Physical Therapy at Ithaca College, The University of Virginia, and Baylor University. In 1997 I enlisted in the US Army and later, via ROTC, become an officer. I have served in MA, VA, TX, DC, and am currently in the Sinai, Egypt. Working with the Iraq war wounded while stationed at Walter Reed has been my life's most rewarding experience and in July 2007 I will be leaving the Army, moving to Richmond, and hope to begin working in the field of prosthetics.
Please enjoy and happy trails!
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