It’s NOT what you might be thinking…
I took my wife to the airport. She and a friend stayed up all night packing and cleaning!
Fitness for Old Farts: Phase 1 is accomplished!
I did it! I weigh 187 lbs. That is what I weighed when I was 18!
I don’t look like I did when I was 18 (yet). But, I have lost 27 lbs. this year!
MO-West, young man
My son just decided to skip football next year. He is going to concentrate on wrestling since he did so well. I found a list of wrestling clubs in Kansas. The one in Kansas City was 5 times more expensive!
Well, shoot. We live two miles from Missouri…
So I printed out a list of Missouri clubs.
WOW! Wrestling is HUGE in Missouri.
I called the coaches at one of the Missouri high schools where we might buy a house. I finally got through to one of the assistants named Phillip Howk. He has three sons who wrestle for Blue Springs, and each finished 5th or higher in the Missouri state tournament this year!
Although Mr. Howk runs his own wrestling club in the off-season, he recommended the MO-West club as the best in the area. That is impressive to me. Not many men would do that. That is why I gave his name. He is worthy of honor, and I am thankful.
Look at what I have found!
My son has decided to concentrate on wrestling. I told him that he might be able to earn a scholarship.
I went online to find a club in the Kansas City area for freestyle wrestling season. There were a total of 19 wrestling clubs (I think either I or my computer screwed up) in Kansas. All of them cost $20-30 except the one in Kansas City. It cost $150!
I thought, “Give me a break! I’ll just check Missouri. We’re right across the state line.”
Wow! Over 20 pages of wrestling clubs! I guess wrestling is BIG in Missouri.
It’s just jogging!
I find that there are three components to my morning jog: my will, my lungs, and my muscles/body.
On some days, as soon as I awake, the choice to run has already been made. “It’s on my schedule!” On those days, the challenge is to see how much time I will cut off.
On other days, it is a major victory to choose to get out of bed and put my shoes on. If I win those two battles and actually start running, I then face the next set of obstacles.
On some days, my body/muscles feel great, like a race horse ready to gallop. On those rare days, my body is actually an encouragement to my will, saying “Let’s go. We can do this!”
However, much more frequently, I feel like Sisyphus and every single step is my boulder. My legs feel like jello, my feet like boat anchors. On those days, my body will argue profusely with my will. Every step requires a choice with body grudgingly obeying.
However, even when my body feels great and my will embraces the challenge, my lungs can become a formidable foe.
Sometimes, my breathing becomes labored or my side starts to hurt. If my body feels great, I will start talking to myself, if need be, aloud, saying: “Come on! Keep going! You can do this!” My will can overcome the cardiovascular pain and complete the run.
However, when my body feels terrible and my breathing becomes labored, my will is put to the greatest test. On those days, it is a major achievement just to complete the run. The conversation inside of me goes something like this: “Don’t quit! Just keep going! Just take the next step! You only have ___ much more to go. You’re not going to die.”
I hope this encourages you as you strive to take care of your body.
Surprise! I’m here!
My wife and I drove from KC to Wichita early this morning.
The event was held in the basketball arena at Wichita State University. I entered where he could not see me, climbed the stairs to the very top and then approached his section from above his seat. He didn’t know that I was there until I sat next to him. What a great reunion!
I finally got to see him wrestle. He got beat but still finished in the top 12 in the state! Not bad for someone who never wrestled before this year!
We still have a date
My son called me this afternoon to tell me that he won his second match. Thank God!
He has no idea that I will be there tomorrow morning to see him wrestle his next one!
Down to the last match!
My wife called me this morning to give me the play-by-play on Anson’s first match…
He got his butt kicked.
I am still not going to tell him that I am coming to see him. I don’t want to put any more pressure on him.
A very good year
I am so impressed with my son. We spoke just before he went to bed. He was reflecting on what a good first year of wrestling it has been.
I really like that. He is going to do his best this weekend but if it doesn’t go well, it is just part of the whole year.
Yes, it has been a good year! I told him that before the season started, I thought that if he was practicing with the varsity, that would have been a good year. He has far exceeded my hopes for him.
It starts when?
As you read this blog, you will probably realize that I am not the sharpest tool in the shed!
This morning I learned that the state tournament starts on Friday!
My son wrestles twice on Friday. And it is a double elimination tournament (two losses and your out).
He has to win one but I can’t tell him that I am coming. The last thing that I want is to put unnecessary pressure on him.
Lord, you’ve got to help him win at least one match…
