It's over...?

Alright... it's been several days and, much like the rest of the team, I keep thinking I'll have a nice inspired post to wrap everything up.  I get little pieces of what I want to write, but it doesn't flow the way I want, so now I'll just get going with it.

I went it knowing that I hated eating.  It was a pain to eat regularly and especially tough to eat healthy.  We were eating out all the time, I was skipping meals, etc.  I'm "lucky" in that my body is pretty much okay with that lifestyle, just as it is on PCP.  Of course it's become really clear that the PCP eating style actually provides me with energy, unlike all my previous eating habits.

I dropped a to-go pizza from a local restaurant into my diet this week and, boy, did that drag me down.  The next day I woke up thirsty and sluggish... basically miserable.

Also interesting is that I've continued to crave so many of the things that I thought I'd learn to hate - those egg whites?  They still taste pretty good and I like having them around.  That Greek yogurt?  Oh yeah, that's here to stay.

I have to be honest and say that I'm really happy with the fact that I've gotten a lot more definition to my body, but I still wish it had gotten a little bigger or a little deeper.  This process has certainly been an eye-opener to just how my body reacts to things - exercise and diet don't show up externally, but primarily internally.



Of course a huge component of PCP for me (and Susan) was Olivia.  We've altered our diet and household in such a way that she is exposed to a wide range of good food now.  She's been watching us exercise and will continue to see us exercise.  We've talked about the choices we make and I know it will be something we will have locked into our lives now.

We didn't go out for our celebratory dinner just yet - it's so busy right now - but we did get our fancy dress clothes on...



Again, given that most of my changes were internal, the biggest thing represented here was the fact that I wanted to own a suit that was tailored for me.  This is something I can now fill from the heart - it would have fit 90 days ago, but I wouldn't have carried myself nearly as strongly.

It's going to really, really odd from here - no emails from Patrick, no blogs to read and catch up with my new friends.  It's the team that is really going to be tough leaving... we haven't all been the best bloggers (myself included), but we've certainly bonded through a pretty wild experience. 

I won't miss all the cooking I've done to prepare the massive meals, and that damn scale can get out of the prime counter space.  Chicken can take a bit of a backseat... not too far back, but not something that I'll eat 6 times a day.  (Only joking... kind of.)

Ugh... I feel like I'm rambling...

I think the long and short of it is that I've learned a lot... my body desires and requires a lot of food, and I'm better when I provide it.  I can push through a 90 day exercise routine, and given that I did it for 90, it shouldn't be that hard to lock in a routine moving forward.

Thank you Patrick and Chen for your desire to share your insight with the world.  For bringing strangers together as a family and turning them back to the world as stronger, healthier people.

A very deep and personal thank you to Patrick (again) and his lovely wife for showing me Yokohama and treating me to a fantastic time there.  I felt immediately welcome with you guys and hope that one day we can return the favor.

To Brian Glazer, who also provided me with a warm welcome to a city halfway around the world - a massive thank you and an even bigger congratulations.  It's wild looking at your starting photos.  When we met, you were halfway through the program, but you were also a completely changed man.  I'm so glad to see that the weeks after I left got you even deeper results.  I know it's been a tough road for you, but I also know that the guy I met there at Tameike-Sanno one Sunday afternoon is really dedicated to getting this done right.

Team Orange Crush - congrats to you all.  Reading your banter was a blast, I only wish I'd had the opportunity to connect while I was in Tokyo, but that's a dangerous place to go out!

Team Cookie Monster - Just F**king Do-it will continue to echo through my mind as I feel the burn.  It's been a blast working with such a diverse, motivated and geographically disbursed group.  It was tough losing folks along the way - some for positive reasons (happy baby thoughts Erin!) - other for negative reasons (so sorry you've been so sick Alex C...).  And now, to "lose" everyone to their daily lives will be a bit lonely.

To Susan - thank you for putting up with me, my massive diets, and my overly excited view of PCP.  I'm so glad you decided to come along with me, as I'm not sure how it would have worked without you.

So... I'll leave you with the permanent reminder of my time on PCP.  After these 90 days, I can say that I know my self better... but I'll always be reminded to keep looking.

Thank you all.

Day 90 (Not the final...)

So I just finished my day 90 workout.  The hardest parts?  The waits between sets... so much energy sitting, poised to pound out more.  The energy left over after the workout... again, so much energy, like a coiled spring!

The abs were really the best for a laugh... I can remember how horrible they felt.  Now, after so many days of v-sits, kung-fus, and 8 minute abs, these weren't a problem!

Okay... off to consider what my final post really should be...

Super set me...?

Ugh... super sets are... massively tough.  The shoulder super set was murderous and not something I'll miss.  That's not to say that the other super sets are something I would love to do on a regular basis, but those shoulder ones are hell.

Squeezing day 89's workout in was fun - I was up until 2a after a miserable hockey game, then I worked with a friend to install a new microwave and dishwasher.  I had a couple of hours to clean that up before we had people over for our Christmas tree lighting / decorating.  Add to the mix a snowy day - which shuts down Southern cities like Nashville - and it was tons of fun.  Sara mentioned an 'obstacle course' style set up, which I think describes it very well.

Susan and I haven't set any plans for our celebratory dinner, but I think we'll be doing some post-PCP pictures in our fancy dress outfits just the same.  I'm really excited about Susan's photos, as she shows a lot of difference in her clothes.  Me... meh, I don't have any dimension changes, so I'll just show off the tattoo, muscle definition and fancy clothes.

I haven't gotten to my Day 90 workout yet, but I'm pretty psyched to see how it feels.  I'm also trying to wrap my head around the mental concept of not being within the program's fine guidelines anymore...

So... I'll think about my Day 90 post for a day or so and get back to everyone. 

Last day... wow...

Deciding on ink...

After yesterday's post, Patrick posed the question: "Can you share why you chose that tattoo in that location?"


So I'll answer...


I chose this particular tattoo more than a year ago - I don't remember the circumstances or timeframe, only that it's been printed out and sitting in many locations around my daily life.  Most prominently on my desk at work.  I wager this concept is the standard advice to most anyone that is considering a tattoo.  I've thought of tattoos for years upon years, much like I thought about my motorcycle.  I weighed it's impact on my life, I talked with people that had them regarding it's impact on them, where they had it done, etc. 


I do know that when the idea of 'know thyself' came to me, I didn't want it to be in English... perhaps because I'm exposed to the Roman alphabet all the time, I wanted to do it in some other alphabet.  After a little time with the idea, it only made sense to be in Greek.


The placement - on my chest - was the second choice.  I knew that I wanted it to be in a place where I could see it and be reminded of the concept.  (To truly know oneself is to know the universe)  I initially considered my inside-forearm, but after a few conversations I discovered that it could have a negative impact on a lot of relationships, especially professionally.  That and I could not commit to the idea of always wearing long sleeve shirts like a friend with full tattoo sleeves has.  From the forearm came the chest.  My thigh was considered, but didn't seem to be quite as good a location for being reminded of something.


Even having made these decisions months and months ago, I never committed - never talked to an artist, etc.  Once PCP came along, though, I knew that the program would shake / shape my foundations such that I'd have a clearer picture of myself.  This program, combined with my therapy sessions, have changed me in innumerable ways over the past year or so.  I know that I'll continue to grow, continue be challenged, but I want to mark the occasion with something significant.

Of course, amongst all these things Susan was a consistent - we talked about the message, the meaning, and the placement.  She's been supportive and plans on going along with me to the studio.  It'll be interesting to see how long she sticks around - either she'll be a geek about the process (plenty of similarities to nursing, what with bio-medical prep, etc) or she'll focus on my pain which will eat her alive.

I haven't shared with a wide audience that I'm doing this - still unsure how everyone will react.  But this isn't about others, it's about me... that's why I put it someplace I can actually see it. :)

Wow - that's COLD

Ok - I'm just not down with the sub-freezing jumps.  Can't do it.  I never liked the tiny bit of running I've done in the cold and I just can't get settled with jumps in it either.  It's been chilly lately, but today it was in the mid-to-upper 20s and I barely made it through the first set.  I came inside and finished out the other two, but not without basically stripping down to nothing in order to adjust to the heated interior... yuck.

Moving on... don't you just love the way exercises feel so 'easy' in the first set or two?  And then they start to fade?  And then they start to fail?  Hmmm... I never thought I'd enjoy the feeling of failure quite so much as I do.  Like that last set of pull-ups when your feet won't come off the ground but your brain is sending a massive single to ppppppuuuuuulllllllll.

We're in the final, final stretch... it's such a strange feeling, too.  On the one hand I've been counting and watching and waiting... but on the other its just a black hole of DIY.  I know Patrick has been / will continue setting us up for that black hole, but it'll still be pretty strange.

To answer my friend James' question (and perhaps everyone else's) the tattoo that I'll have in a little more than 36 hours from now:

It's Greek for "Know Thyself".  I spent 5 hours on Saturday watching a coworker get two pieces done by the same guy that will do mine.  It was an odd way to spend a large chunk of Saturday, but it made me more comfortable with the artist, the studio and especially the process.  It did, however, make it clear that mine placement is going to prove to be rather painful... the coworker had his on his calves and indicated with small winces the pain as the needle went over / along the bone.  My chest, despite all the PCP goodness, still has plenty of bone... wheee!

Jump runs & indulgence

So, seemingly counter to the advice for Dec 2 (isn't it strange getting the emails a day "ahead"?) I decided to run through my jump rope session today.  No, not replace the rope with a run, but instead jog while jumping.  I was somewhat inspired by the video I posted and somewhat inspired by watching "the man" do his jumping in Yokohama nearly a month ago.  I decided to give it a go... on top of that, it's actually cold here for the first time of the season (35 when I went outside) and I thought that the extra movement would keep the cold away.

It was generally a success - I count the increased interruptions as an "ok" thing because added cardio from the running... right, right?  It got much harder halfway through the second set, though...


So, on to the indulgence.  It's hard to say if I drifted too far during Thanksgiving - I have a pretty massive set of grams to attend to.  Perhaps some of the dishes were too fatty in one way or another, but for the most part it was protein or veg centered.  The wine would be counted as a drift, of course.  Oh... and I had two Thanksgivings - one local with friends and one with my family a couple hours away. 

So, counting Thanksgiving as a small transgression, we'll call the trip to the Turkish restaurant on Monday the indulgence.  It was the first Monday after a long holiday so the OR was busy, keeping Susan at work a little later than usual.  On top of that was massive amount of rain falling and no one in this town understands how to observe rain but continue to drive.  Given that Susan was running late, I made the trip across town to pick up Olivia, only to find out Susan wasn't going to be as late as she thought.  Instead of making the trek home in the rain and traffic at rush hour, we decided to go a favorite place on that side of town, the Turkish restaurant my sister found just before we moved to Nashville.

I had the baked eggplant with lamb and tomato, a small salad with oil, some bread with oil and a bunch of yummy hot apple tea.  Again, I'm not sure if it was really an indulgence, but it sure was delicious.  I can't say that it had much impact on me... things kept rolling like normal throughout the night...

So... we're in our final 12 days.  It looks like I'm set for a session at the tattoo studio on Wednesday and my suit should as early as Monday.  We'll probably make our celebratory dinner reservations for the Wednesday or Thursday following the end of PCP - an excuse for fancy dress!

It's tough, but the end is neigh!  JFD Cookie Monsters! :D

Oh, and to those we've "lost" - I hope things are rolling along well, in sickness and in health, in sleep depravity and boredom.  We miss you!

Ready for the jump rope show?

You see... I've been in on a little secret since my trip to Japan.

We're all going to meet up in a secret location and do this routine.


Everyone ready?