10-net 1: These Are Not Steps

These 10-nets that I have been writing about are not steps or stages that you pass and do in succession. As I have said over and over again, this mentality is a lifestyle. This is not a diet with a start and finish; this is a new approach to how you live your life. The 10-nets are beliefs that are enacted in my life on a day-to-day basis. Some days I focus more on specific ideas, but they are all part of my daily routine.

So if you choose to take the “Today I Can” mindset, then remember, I have no formula or routine specific for you. I have no “eat this specific food and do this exercise program today” to get you healthy. My recipe is this: Each day I try to make the right decisions about what I put in my body and when I exercise,  and if I succeed Today, I will start again tomorrow. Today I Can be healthy, and so can you.

10-net 2: Evict the Icants

Everyone has heard of the Minions, the little yellow guys that hung around with Gru in Despicable Me, right? Minions are more than just yes men, they are YAY men. No matter how bad an idea Gru has, they literally go bananas like it's the best idea in the history of ever! Steal the moon? Hell yeah baby, let's do this thing! All we need is a shrink ray!

The Icants are the exact opposite of Minions, they are the little guys that live in my head and tell me I can't do things. Oddly enough, they gain strength from my weakness, from my failures, from me quitting and most often from me not even trying.  I think it's something that all of us that have suffered with obesity can relate to. “I can't fly” because of the looks other passengers have when I get on the plane, they might as well stand up and scream “Dear Lord NO! Please don't let the fat guy sit next to me!” Even though I've lost a lot of weight the Icants insist on still screaming the thoughts people aren't thinking when I get on a plane. They love it when I can't and they are the kryptonite of Today I Can.

A couple of weeks ago I rode in a rally called the Richardson Wild Ride, but I did not adequately prepare for it. I rode too far the night before because I thought everyone was going to keep an easy pace. When we got going it was obvious nobody remembered the talk of an easy pace and we all roared off like we were going to win the thing, my legs weren’t fully recovered, we hit the hills and I fell off the back end after a couple of climbs. Immediately I returned to the kid in junior high who finished last in every track meet, I can’t keep up with these other guys, I can’t do this, I can’t climb as fast, I can’t ride this fast and I ended up being right. Not because I wasn’t physically ready but because I said those two little words that are one of the key ingredients of every missed opportunity. I said “I can’t”

As I prepare to leave for my coastal ride, there are a lot of Icant’s that say a lot of lies, but there is one that speaks the truth. I can’t listen to them. I know I can do it. I’m sure there are lots of you with Icants that are keeping you from being all you were created to be. Before you can, you got to shut up the Icants, they are tougher than big hills, big winds, or high heat.

10-net 4: Find What Works For You

There are two different sides to healthy living, and those are diet and exercise. Dieting is pretty straight forward. If you are deciding between a burger and fries, and chicken and veggies, you know what the right choice is. But even in dieting there are many options, whatever you choose to do, stick to it, don’t let the diet expire.

When it comes to exercise it is crucial that you find something you enjoy. For myself it was riding. You get to ride in races, wear cool flashy jerseys, and riding a bike is very entertaining. For my wife, she hops on the treadmill an hour a night. She doesn't run in big races or marathons because that’s not her. She turns on Netflix and just runs for an hour in the privacy of our own home. You have to find whats going to work for you. If you want to ride, I’ll help you get set up with a bike and get you spinning. If you wanna run, my wife will do the same. Maybe you want to swim, or rock climb and hike, or do interval training and weightlifting. What specific exercise you do doesn't matter to me! Just get out, get active, and get fit!

10-net 5: You Can't Do It Alone

"But it's called Today I Can! Why do I need help??"
Because, hypothetical stranger, accountability is essential.

In October of 2013 I was featured in an article in the Dallas Morning News and I talked about weight loss and my road to a healthy lifestyle. In that article I talked about my good friend Doug Walker, and referred to him as my "Fitness Mentor". Doug was key in helping me get to where I am today. I am not a very athletic person, but he is, and when I first started riding he could have left me in the dust. But instead he dragged me around and patiently held back with me, always challenging me to work a little harder than I would have challenged myself. He is actually going to be joining me in the later part of the Tour de Pac 12, helping me stay motivated, and doing what he does best, challenging me to push harder.

Another man who I get the pleasure of riding with is Ozzie "The Wizard" Buckler. He too helps me stay motivated and rides with me at least once a week.

These two men have been essential in my road to health, especially when I was first starting out. Exercise is hard, and quite frankly it hurts sometimes, and if you're going it alone, it's pretty easy to say no to yourself. But it is hard to say no to someone standing in front of you saying "time to ride". It wasn't a constant battle for me to stay at it, but on the days that it was, having someone there to keep me going was crucial.

Find someone to keep you going, and if you need someone, I'd be glad to help.

10-net 6: Don't Be Afraid to Call an Audible

The road to a healthy lifestyle is not easy, and obstacles will arise. You could be running and sprain you ankle, pull a hamstring, or maybe even just get sick for a couple of days. For myself, I rode into a curb, flew over my handle bars, and fractured my wrist. I could not put pressure on my wrist for 6 weeks, which meant I couldn’t ride outside. In the past, this would have been the end, I would have been defeated, and stopped riding. But I didn’t do that. I called an audible, hopped on a stationary bike, and simply road in my house. Not only did I not let this injury halt me, it actually helped me figure out a great alternative for when there is inclement weather.

When obstacles arise, do not get defeated, call an audible and overcome it. Its not always going to be easy, but I pray you keep pushing, because its so worth it.

The Cleanse Question

I have been asked a couple of times about what cleanse did I use and what protein shake do I take now. I am a sports fan and I listen to a local sports radio station called the Ticket, I work a lot of Saturdays during tax season and George Digianni has a Saturday morning show on health and fitness. It wasn't really my bag but i was too lazy to change the station so I would listen, eventually I checked his website and gave him a call and we started the cleanse. 

I would recommend his 21 day cleanse because it comes with a complete diet plan for those 21 days and it makes it black and white. It is a list of eat this and this and this and don't eat any of this. If you are anything like me having a diet with cheats included is a recipe for failure, who wants to reward themselves with 4 Cheetos if there is a bag there waiting to be plundered? If you stick to it in 21 days you will have lost some weight and gained some energy and that momentum can carry you into other phases.

Most cleanses are going to focus on cleaning out your system and that is a very good thing, for 21 days. It is not something our intestines can take long term. After the cleanse ended the black and white part of it worked for me, in fact i was the only one in my family that didn't cheat at all, additionally we had 3 people doing it together in 2012 and the 3 week supply was gone in 7 days and all we could find included videos and pamphlets etc, we just wanted the powder so we went to Whole Foods, the Vitamin Stop and Ultimate Sports Nutrition and asked the folks there what we were taking and what they had in stock we could mix in with our protein shake, we tried a million different protein powders before we found Oh Yeah, i like the Strawberry and Linda likes the Vanilla. From there I add in a lot of vitamins, minerals, supplements, cod liver oil, a banana, some frozen grapes, ice and coconut water. I take all the pills, my wife adds them to her shake because she's not big on pills. 

We got a nice blender, it actually counts the number of times we make a shake, we are getting close to 1,500 now so I guess we are good at routines once we settle in. I would definitely suggest using a program like George's, he has a good product and a plan to help you get started, it's not the worst $100 you will ever spend, for me it's the best. From there, who knows maybe you go a different route, 
but give it a shot, it could help get you going.

I had a nice couple of rides this week but was discouraged a bit by there being so many accounting emergencies, i thought we ran out of work after April 15th. I got those Franchise returns filed and extended, rode to work with Doug on Thursday and home with a stop by Richardson Bike Mart to see if they had anything I didn't know I couldn't live without. We got the wild ride on Saturday and then a bunch of us are going on the dam ride through Grapevine on Sunday.

Thanks for checking in!

Announcing the Tour de PAC 12

The Beginning

Earlier this year Doug Walker and I started a new organization called The Today I Can Foundation, we are in the process of obtaining non-profit status from the Internal Revenue Service. It's goal to demonstrate to anyone currently suffering or will be suffering from the pain of a sedentary lifestyle combined with an unhealthy diet.

Some of you have heard it before and have spent a lifetime dealing with it. For some reason your desire for weight loss was never greater than your desire for whatever comfort food would make you happy. There are a million reasons why you can't and you cling to them all, nobody understands.

That lie is only true in your head and because it is the truth there, it is a lie you live out every day. What we want to do is simple, we want to show you that you can and you don't have to cling to those lies. In 2011 I weighed somewhere around 350 pounds and took 45 mg of Actos and 2,000 mg of Metformin for type 2 diabetes, 100 mg of Losartan and 50 mg of Carvedilol for high blood pressure and heart disease, 45 mg of Simvastin for my high cholesterol, and a baby aspirin and they did nothing but create symptoms, they were very poor band-aids. During the spring of 2012, at 48 years old, I needed a cane to get from the parking lot to my office and that's when the light bulb went off. 

"Light Bulb" always cracks me up

I realized I was morbidly obese and it was going to kill me but before it did I stood a very good chance of subjecting myself to a life full of painful side effects from diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. In May I did a cleanse and in July I started to walk, I walked each day a little further than the day before and I started to feel better about it, this July I want to encourage someone to do the same thing, to show them what can happen if they just get moving, I am going to attempt something I did not think was possible 2 years ago when I was using that cane to get in from the office. This July I am going to ride my bike all over the PAC 12 conference, we are calling it the Tour de PAC 12. I live in Dallas Texas and my wife and I are going to drive up to Vancouver and I am going to do a couple of rides on the way but starting around July 1 I will get on my bike North of Vancouver and start a ride that will end up at the border of the United States, entering Mexico. My ride will be over 2,000 miles long. I don't have a team, it's just me and the road. 

A little about me

Before: ESPN Studios in Connecticut

Before I go much further, I'd like you to know something about me, I am going to be vulnerable. I am a CPA, a tax guy. I am not a jock or former high end athlete that called on something I've done before to do this. I am an accountant because I am good with numbers not because I ran a 4.4 40 yard dash or could bench press a Volkswagen. In fact, I never made a cut for any team that had one. I played basketball for three seasons in elementary school and scored two baskets. In the 8th grade I was the kid asked to play on the 7th grade team when they needed a player to fill out that lineup, the only 8th grader on the 7th grade team. In track I always brought up the rear in whatever race the fat kids raced in. There is nothing special about me athletically, in fact, I always kind of sucked, so if that is your excuse, consider it moot.

Back to the Tour

During: Venice Beach, California

Each day I am going to get up and ride and at some point that day, I'd like someone that needs that encouragement to just go for a walk, that's it. I don't want anything else, just for you or someone you know to go for a walk, I will ride across the country if on that first day, you will go for a walk for 15 minutes and then turn around and walk home. It would be great if you posted something on Facebook or Twitter and included #getmoving or #todayican - folks are going to like that on Facebook and if that feels good, think about doing it the next day. Maybe it will catch on.

That's it, I will keep on riding and encouraging and if you like, you can walk the next day, maybe a little further or longer than you did before. I will keep going and when I get done, I will come home and we can see what folks want to do next, if it's ride a bike and you're ready, we can help you find the right bike. If it's lift weights or swim, let's do that but let's wait until that day gets here and focus on taking that first walk, maybe pick up some comfortable shoes and something that will be comfortable to wear but that's it.

A note to the friend and loved one

If you know someone that might need a push in that direction, say a prayer for them and ask them to lunch or go to a movie and listen for the chance to tell them about this fat guy that just went for a walk one day and it changed his life, point them at my blog and maybe they get moving. Offer to walk with them, it would do you good as well, don't overdo but do something. They may offer you an expletive filled answer or they may give you a couple of very good excuses but send them the link to this note and let's see if they would take that walk with you. Also, encourage them to track how far they walked on the "Map My Walk" or "Strava" app for their smartphone and then post it on Facebook or Twitter. Use that #todayican or #getmoving and then like the hell out of every walk they take, make a comment and be supportive. Encourage them and keep on praying for them. It let's them know you care and if you believe in a higher power pray for the things that will get in their way.

A note to the guy who gets this link from someone

Don't lash out at them, read it and be thankful they care. They can't fix you, they know that. They just want you to be healthy. Don't be mad at them for caring and don't let it hurt your feelings, it is personal, it is personal and they care. Let me tell you something else, it feels incredible, it's better than a cheeseburger to jog up stairs, seriously. It's better than Cheetos to not take prescriptions each day. Seriously better. That's why I am doing this, it's this super great completely legal drug and I'd like you to experience it and it can be done not with some crazy diet or surgery or gym membership, it's just a walk. Try it one day and see what happens, if it works out try it again tomorrow.

Riding with life's experiences

Adversity comes in different forms

Just like life, riding a bicycle comes with it's share of adversity. Most of it revolves around the elements, heat, cold, rain, wind and gravity (aka hills). Well, the toughest adversary we actually face is the angry white guy being denied his constitutional right to drive 45 in a 35 MPH Zone on Ohio Drive in Plano ... but that's a thread for another day.

In Dallas we don't deal with gravity a lot, we are blessed with a pretty flat terrain. It's an incredible place to live if you like to ride because other than a couple of months we can always ride. Each spring, after the couple of months of "winter" we get here a new cycling season starts and we are greeted with one of our toughest adversaries, the wind. I guess since we don't have a lot of hills, we don't have a lot of things to slow the wind down. It seems as if it starts picking up speed once it clears the hill country south of Waco and doesn't slow down until it's halfway through Oklahoma. If the wind is from the North, I just assume the reverse is true.

Deal with it

Still like our life, the wind is an adversity you just have to deal with. It's inevitable, it's part of the game and you deal with it or it deals with you. When I encounter adversity, I turn to two ex's, my experience and the examples set by others. Both of those are used a lot on the bike but this week my experience came to mind, so that is where I am going to focus on. 

On my rides this week I had to deal with the wind, a lot of it. At points by the lake it was blowing at least 25 MPH, when that happens I draw upon an experience that helps me deal with the wind. It goes all the way back to the early 80s, when I played football and all of the linemen (of which I was one) would drive those blocking dummies and sleds all over the field. There was one set of commands I will never forget because it was said over and over again, "C'mon Baker! Drive your legs! Stay low!" It was a concept I apparently never grasped because every time the ball was snapped, I'd pop up like a jack in the box and if I ever chased down the man I was assigned to block, my legs would quit driving and I'd attempt to lean my opponent into submission. A jack in the box might be an effective spokesperson for cheeseburgers but there aren't many of them in Canton Ohio because of their effective play along the line of scrimmage. During my senior year, there was a sophomore lineman, let's call him Clark, who earned the designation "Sophomore Varsity Star" using the confidence that I instilled in him by trying to use my jack in the box technique on him.

It wasn't because I couldn't stay low and drive my feet, it just was when the chips were down and the ball was snapped, I did what I instinctively thought was best, I never disciplined myself enough to change my actions. It made staying on the field a difficult thing for me to do, a coach couldn't leave a guy in the game for long if he consistently did not do what was best for the team to keep moving the ball. 

Lesson Learned

Riding into the wind is really what being a lineman is all about, it's the job that has to be done, so the climbers and sprinters can stay fresh. There are guys on a team that do nothing but knock a hole through the wind and their opponents so the superstars can ride off in a yellow jersey. Stay low, keep your legs moving and create a hole for others to move through sounds a lot like a lineman's job. When the ride's been long and the wind is relentless, you naturally want to sit up tall and open up your lungs, your legs are heavy and you really want to coast and give them a rest. When you sit up tall though the wind grabs hold of you like it does with a sail and pushes you, but not in the direction you are heading. If you don't keep spinning, the wind makes it impossible to coast and you slow down. If you are doing both, you start grinding just to keep from falling over. After that you discover that it takes considerably more effort to speed up than it would have to have maintained your speed. The very thing you thought you were doing to rest is actually making you work harder. Inevitably, the same thing happens with the jack in the box technique in cycling that it did for me in football, you stop moving and your opponents pass you by. 

At those moments, for whatever reason, I think back to those points, where I learned that doing what I wanted, against the instructions of those who knew better and only wanted to see me succeed, didn't work out very well. The wind will blow so hard I can't hear myself think but that's when I can hear Coach Beane, Coach Nail, Coach Aaronson, Coach Harris and Coach Peterson repeating that same phrase they did from Junior High to High School, "C'mon Baker! Stay Low! Keep your legs moving!" with one big difference, I've learned it's easier for me if I follow those instructions.

Earlier this week I was riding my second lap around the lake (there is a reason they "issue wind advisories by area lakes") and I was in the into the wind part of that lap. I was staying low, my legs were spinning and I was punching open a hole into the wind. I wasn't really thinking about the wind because it's not as hard if you do it right. I may not have been moving as fast as I would like but I was getting there and in so doing, I passed a guy quite a bit younger and certainly more athletic than me. He, unfortunately, was using the jack in the box technique and his legs were barely moving. He looked miserable and it didn't help that a 50 year old grey bearded dude with a belly passed him with a cheery good morning. 

He looked a lot like what I remember Friday nights feeling like back in 1981, watching that sophomore take my spot on the field. As we get older, the roles reverse, freshmen aren't supposed to win the Heisman and run over and around the SEC like Johnny Manziel did when he was a freshman. Years later we discover that old pitchers aren't supposed to be strikeout kings and whip up on Robin Ventura like Nolan Ryan. I will probably never know what Clark or Johnny felt on the gridiron but my new favorite experience is getting to feel just a tiny bit like Nolan Ryan did by whipping up on a younger guy. It's an experience I am looking forward to having again.