My lack of physical exercise continues...

But I found this address from the current Superintendent of the Naval Academy, of all places, remarkably motivating...and I'm not even a Naval Academy graduate, nor am I a member of the Sea Services. What I do find amazing is this crystalline description of what USNA exists for, what it is, and where it's going. Those are the vision statements I have come to expect from the best senior leadership, regardless of service.

In two parts. Part 1, and part 2. Enjoy.

I have to put in a plug for Commander Salamander, which is why I even knew about the speech. Yes, I RSS the US Naval Institute's blog, to which he posts. I don't see similar professional forums like that in the Army. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places, but USNI has been like that since I started reading its Proceedings back in the 1980s.

Some sober reflection

These words were written by another major, and they reflect an essential truth far more profound than anything I will have ever written.

If you are able, save for them a place inside of you
and save one backward glance when you are leaving
for the places they can no longer go.

Be not ashamed to say you loved them,
though you may or may not have always.
Take what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own.

And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane,
take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind.

MAJ Michael Davis O'Donnell, "Remember Them"
1 January 1970, Dak To, Vietnam

4.3mi, 37:27, 15 OCT 10, Quantico, Virginia

iThink:
The Bats, "Courage"
Geoff Zanelli, Hans Zimmer & Blake Neely, "With the Old Breed"

WX at 0600: 50.0 (10.0) DP 39.9 (4.4) BP 29.79 (1008) NW 7 RH 68

Odometer 3: 126.3mi

Z3 high.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

First run in almost three weeks - not counting my PT test. I've had some weight loss from moving stuff around, but it won't last unless I do something about it.

I find it ironic that I can't get a run in unless I'm away from home, but this was worth it.

Quantico is pretty hilly, if this morning's run is any indicator. Still, it felt good to get out there - and the weather was about as good as it gets.

One highlight from this morning's run: brief stop at the USMC Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy building, where there's a small exhibit on GySgt John Basilone, who earned a Medal of Honor at Guadalcanal in 1942, and a posthumous Navy Cross at Iwo Jima in 1945. It makes sense for Basilone to be memorialized at the NCO academy, but it's been my observation that the Marine Corps has always been very good about memorializing its own.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
4.33 37:27 37:27 08:39 08:39 4.33

The joys of moving

The last two weeks have been spent in preparation for this past weekend. Although I'd prepositioned all kinds of stuff at the new house (about 5-6 minivan-loads), most of the heavy lifting was done on Saturday when we hired Two Men and A Truck to move us. Three guys came out from Blue Springs, MO, and did a bang-up job moving us.

It might have cost us just a bit over $1000 (they charge by the hour and their methods are geared towards less breakdown and more moving, which places a greater premium on actually getting things packed properly beforehand), but they were exceptionally professional and were true to their word. Every bit as professional as I would've expected of them.

That doesn't change the fact that a sizeable amount of minivan-portable stuff was still left at the old house, and I spent most of yesterday and today moving stuff.

Good part of it is that almost all of it is minivan-portable. Better part of it is that I've managed to lose some six pounds in the last week, and I don't think it's just water weight either.

Whether I keep that weight off remains to be seen. I am pretty beat and have two books to read in the next two days.

To quote some of my former coworkers from Combined/Joint Task Force 82 back in 2008...

HIGH OCTANE!!!

How to Delete Yourself From the Gene Pool

I cannot possibly think of anything that involves as much deliberate taunting of death as this video.

A. 25-mile commute in Moscow.
B. Yamaha R1 suicide rocket.
C. Gratuitous lifting of front wheel.
D. Monster death wish.
E. All of the above.

Record APFT, 289 points, 6 OCT 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Journey, "Only the Young"

WX at 0600: 48.9 (9.4) DP 44.1 (6.7) BP 30.26 (1024) SSW 7 RH 83

Odometer 3: 122.0mi

Z4 high.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

The last few weks have been hallmarked by a general lack of physical exercise. The only exercise I've traditionally done is cycling to work and back. As a result, I was pleasantly surprised at grinding out what I got this morning.

I've traditionally gotten 100 in the pushups and situps without much formal training, but I attribute that to a lot of muscle memory. The run was more problematic and I found that I didn't suck as bad as I thought I might. Of course, cycling is better than nothing. I feel vindicated for cycling my way in and out to work.

I'm still going to get taped for body fat percentage since I tapped the scales at 185 pounds. Ha ha.

I did almost as little formalized training for this one as I did for the last PT test I took in May, and the environmental conditions were not much different. Why I did better is a mystery.

My knees did hurt a bit after the run, though. Aging sucks. It also doesn't change the fact that my last deliberate workout was over a week ago. Sad, sad, sad.

Splits
Pushups: 76 in 0:58
Situps: 77 in 1:30
Two mile run: 14:52