Family Values

Lindsey has been hard at work doing crafty things around the house.  It's pretty amazing, really.  We are just two months into this new place and she's been making it look like a home.  If it were just me here, it'd still be pretty bare.  Thank the Lord she's here!

Lemon Chicken...4 out of 5 stars...mmmmmmm

My fav so far is the weekly menu board.  She repurposed an old frame, used some scrapbook materials, and uses a dry erase marker to tell me what hearty goodness is gonna hit my plate.

I then give a little feedback with some stars later that night.  It keeps her on her toes.

Seriously, this menu thing is pretty bomb.

Lindsey has also refinished an awesome mirror frame (which Makayla is pretty sure is her magic mirror on the wall.)

But there's another thing she's working on that I'm pretty stoked about is a board of our family rules/values.  There are a few families I have seen post theirs.  I want to get this right (not the appearance, but the content.)

Any guys out there have any suggestions for the top ten?

Seems Legit

Just got an email from Joe Fox. Subject: Awful Trip. To: undisclosed recipients.

"How you doing?i am so sorry about me not informing you about my trip to London,United Kingdom some days back, Unfortunately for me i was mugged at gun point last night and here i am totally freaked out! All cash, Credit cards and phone were stolen,i got messed up in another country, stranded in London,United Kingdom, fortunately my passport was in my hotel room. It was a Brutal  experience and i was hurt a little bit on my right hand, but would be fine.

My return fight leaves in a few hours but i am having troubles sorting out the hotel bills, wondering if you could loan me some money to sort out the hotel bills and also take a cab to the airport i will refund it back as soon as i get back home. I have been to the police and embassy here, but they aren't helping issues,i have limited access to mails now,i have canceled my cards already and made a police report, I won’t get a new card number till I get back home! So I really need your help.would def refund it to you once i get back home...Hope to read from you soon

I await your reply soon.

Thanks In Advance."

Too bad all my money is currently tied up with a Nigerian prince...

Adoption Shirts For Sale

We are selling adoption shirts.  $23 ($20 + $3 shipping) will get you this shirt that Lindsey masterfully designed.  100% of the proceeds fund our adoption journey.  They are a great way to show your support for international adoption in general.

The shirts are made of high quality fabric, and produced by Action Sports Apparel.  I've worn the heck out of mine so far and there's no sign of fading or decal chipping.

Just PayPal $23 to me here: adamcrock at mac dot com.  Put 'adoption shirt' in the notes and don't forget your size!  If you'd prefer to send the money a different way, email me at the aforementioned address and we can work it out.

To get the ball rolling on this, the first 10 people to buy a shirt from this site will be entered in a random drawing to get a shirt free.  You can either get refunded for the shirt, or I'll send a second one your way gratis.

 

One Week Down...

Today marks one week since I picked up my first kettlebell and said, "To Mordor with flab!"  That day I puked.  And worked out pretty hard.  But mostly I remember the puking. 

I worked out 5 of the last 7 days.  I've scaled back posting all of those workouts, and I'll probably do a weekly recap of my training endeavors.  Here's the first of such recaps...

Friday: Helen, 2 rounds at 11:22.  And the puke.

Saturday: Crying like a little girl.

Sunday: Sally, but I forgot to time it.

Monday:  Bradley, 6 rounds at 20:24.  I was proud until I realized I did girl pull ups and one of the regulars finished 10 rounds in the same time as me.  ::Sigh::

Tuesday: At Brian's urging, I was to run one mile, rest four minutes, and run another mile.  Caveat: the second mile had to be within one minute's time of the first.  WHAT?!  Well, I went for it.  I found a route from my house that was a mile.  On the way up, I wanted to quit.  Running.  Training.  My job.  Everything.  I.  HATE.  RUNNING.*  But I made my first mile in under nine minutes.  The rest was the sweetest feeling.  Like holding my newly born daughters in the hospital.  Or eating carbs.  It was glorious.  Then, it was quickly over.  I pressed on as quickly as possible, pushing to stick to nine minutes.  I got home, and checked my stopwatch.  NO.  WAY!  My second lap was a full minute faster than the first.  Proof:

Wednesday: No name.  Find your max back squat weight and knock out three reps.  I killed 175.  Not bad.  Then 40 double unders (or 80 regular rope jumps), 25 box jumps, 15 kb swings.  This was the first Crossfit workout I finished!  5 rounds in 14:01.  And I kept my lunch down!  Look out, zombies...

Thursday: Again with the little girl crying.  I was supposed to run 10 x 100m sprints, but I took the day off.

Today is Friday again, and I plan to do my workout from yesterday before I hit up a free class at Crossfit Legacy tomorrow. 

Lindsey and I have been on a kick to repurpose lots of things in the house, instead of just tossing them out.  So, I decided to do that with one of the memories from one of my slow carb binge eating days.  We went to the county fair a few weeks ago, on a cheat eating day, and I ate nearly an entire Bucket o' Fries.  I felt like junk after that.  So, that bucket is being repurposed.  I had some concrete mix leftover from installing the mailbox.  That mix has found its way into my bucket. 

It is now my Lil' Bucket o' Pain.  This little beauty is only five pounds or so, but it's now a reminder of what'll stop my goal (not fitness, ultimately, but bringing my baby home).  The fries were a waste of money, calories, and did nothing to further my adoption quest.  My thought now is to grab this girl whenever I want to eat bad, and just carry her around and do some running, lunges, and squats.  Maybe I'll reinforce the handle and use her as a kettle bell.  And maybe I'll make a bigger one soon!

That's all for now.

P.S. I now have seven personal sponsors for the run!  A coworker, a neighbor, and five friends.  Thank you all so much in advance for your support! 

*"And I hate.  I HATE.  I HAAAATE PETER PAN!"
                                              -Captain Hook

Solo Workout

Friday, Crossfit Legacy (CFL) kicked my butt with an inaugural Helen workout.  That night, I slept like a baby.

Saturday, I walked around like a geriatric man, having to muster courage to sit and stand (due to the quad and hamstring pain).  Also, I had the arms of a T-Rex.  If you've ever worked out super hard after a period of lethargy, you know what I'm talking about.  You can't stretch them out fully because it hurts, so they stay at a comfy 90-degree angle, up near your chest.

Sunday, I knew I had to workout.  Brian from CFL hadn't yet sent me a workout to do on my own, so I took it upon myself to come up with something.  I call her Sally.

We live on a cul de sac, and from our end of the street to the other is a solid 500 meters.  My new 'Sally' workout involved running up and down that stretch twice each (4 x 500m).  At intervals I planned to do 100 pushups, 100 sit ups, and 50 squats.

The weather was a cool 70 degrees, and I was feeling good.  I ran down, cranked out 25 pushups and 25 sit ups, just like I planned.  Coming back, I was only able to knock out 15 pushups.  Uh oh.  Then the sweet rains came, and I felt renewed vigor.  I crushed the sit ups and squats.

Down again, pushups to failure, not quite enough.  One image kept me going.  A zombie at my back; a starving child before me.  I picked up the pace.  My next sit ups were cake.  Back again, and I could only hit 75 pushups, 75 sit ups, and 35 squats.  Bummer.

I checked my phone and saw an email from Brian.  He said I should just run 4 x 400m today.  Ha!  I laugh in your workout's general direction!  I wrote him back and he was pleased.  He told me to time it next time to measure improvement.  Copy that!

Lindsey made Chex Mix AND tossed a bunch of it in a choco-peanut butter concoction and dusted it with powdered sugar.  So, diet's done.

...or the Faint of Stomach

Part 1 here.

But before starting the Helen, Brian had me warm up.  This isn't your grandma's warming up.  No afghan, no hot cocoa.  I started with jumping rope, then leg swings, then contorting my arm across some PVC pipe in ways I was sure I couldn't.  I did pushups, pull ups, squats, and kettle bell swings.  My heart rate was up and my legs were burning.  At one point I asked if we had started the Helen.  He just grinned and shook his head 'no'.  I died a little.

Then two things that followed which I can only describe as ominous.  Brian said, "Oh no, I forgot to have you sign a waiver."  Waivers are standard, I have accepted that.  But the urgency with which he proceeded told me right there that I was in for some pain.  Next, one of his regulars showed up early for his workout.  Brian told him I was about to start the Helen.  His sadistic grin was something I have only seen on the faces of cannibals and men hazing other men.  And...I believe what they were doing well somewhere in the spectrum between the two.

Brian opens a big garage door to the 85 degree sun, and shows me the 400m course.  Not bad, I think (until I realize I have to do this thrice).  He gives me the 'go' and I pace myself.

This is about the time I feel I should tell you about my breakfast.  Doing my slow carb diet, I start my day off with protein and vegetables.  Today it was sausage (stupid!) and red peppers, and not nearly enough water.  I knew I was having this Crossfit meeting, but I naively assumed it would be a gentle meet-and-greet with no workout.  Lindsey told me I should be ready to work out.  I didn't listen.  Another point for my wife...

With every step I feel my long lost breakfast beckoning to me from far off.  I'll get back to my breakfast--or vice versa--a little later.

More regulars have shown up early, and they watch me before their class.  Run finished, I step inside and grab the kettle bell.  I notice they've given me the light one.  I feel like I'm using the pink bowling ball at the lanes.  Kettle bell swings were a breeze.  Now it's on to 12 pull ups.  I haven't been able to do 12 pull ups in a solid year.  But I'm not allowed to quit.  Brian starts motivating me.  Any doubt about him being the perfect trainer for me was dispelled when he quoted Zombieland to get me up that bar.

I struggle to get the 12, but I do them.  I run to the office to get some water.  All they have is Dixie cups.  I think the women are making fun of me.  I come back and Brian says he thought I was in the bathroom puking.  Patience, Brian, I'm almost there.  I get outside to run again.  Humping that kettle bell does more to your lower body than you think, and I'm feeling like someone filled the running track with molasses three feet deep.  Onward I trudge.

Inside, I see that kettle bell smugly sitting there, inert.  I wish I were inert right now.  I knock out the swings and groan as I approach the bar.  12 pull ups take FOREVER, even with Brian pulling everything out he can to make them easier for me (I'm pretty sure he almost lifted me up there at the end).

Two cycles down, just one more.  The timer says 11:22, and Brian calls it off.  He says if I can't finish in 12 minutes, he won't let me keep going.

So, I didn't even finish the Helen.  Heck, I FEEL like Helen.  I thank Brian for making me feel like a little girl, and I walk out to my car.  I just sit there for a second, and think about napping.  But I start driving.  About a mile away from the gym, I have to pull over.  I stand in one of those unmarked Ohio fields and yack up the sausage, and the peppers, and all the water.  A headache ensues, and I get back in my car.  Again, I sit, and daydream about napping.  I don't remember getting home, but it must have happened.

If the workouts are at least this intense, I can't wait to smash some undead skull in October!!!

Crossfit: Not for the Faint of Heart

So, I'm definitely doing the aforementioned Zombie 5K to raise money for my adoption.

I have only ever run in one 5K.  I was in the military, near the peak of my personal fitness, and I did horrible.  Running's never been my thing.  So the moment I committed to this run, I knew I'd need to train.  Hard.

But this isn't just a 5K.  It's a 5K obstacle course with zombies trying to EAT you!  Despite rule #1 of Zombieland, cardio alone won't cut it.  I'm going to need upper body strength for climbing, endurance, agility (for whatever razor wire slalom I'm sure I'll have to maneuver), and even more.

Rusty and some other friends have done Crossfit, and it seemed perfect for the task.  I promptly contacted the three closest Crossfit gyms to me.  Brian Yoak of Crossfit Legacy promptly responded and seemed open to turning me into a beast.  We met this morning.  This is when it got real.

The gym is an unassuming building in Barberton.  Walking in, I notice Brian's not a super tall guy, but he looks like he's made of oak.  In his office I saw a MacBook and an iPhone on his desk.  Already I knew we'd get along.  He sits down and asks me the basic questions about my adoption (it's awesome he's interested).  I notice he's taking notes with his left hand (I'm also a lefty).  It's the little things.

Once he see's I'm legit and have had at least a meager fitness background, he agrees to sponsor and train me.  w00t.  He'll let me come into the gym 3x per week and participate in the strength workout of the day (WOD) for free.  In addition, he's going to help me with Crossfit Endurance training, which is a lot of running.  double w00t.

Additionally, he encouraged me to come to the Saturday classes, which are free to anyone.  (hint hint)

Brian weighed me (191.8, with my clothes and shoes on...still losing weight!) and did body fat measurements with calipers (I don't have the results yet).  Then he said he wanted me to do the 'Helen' as a baseline evaluation of my level of fitness.  Helen is:

400m run
21 kettle bell swings
12 pull ups

Except that you do that THREE TIMES.

More in part 2...

Adoption 5K

My friend, Rusty Pang, invited me to Maryland to participate in this epic run in October 2011: Run for Your Lives!  I'm all about it! I'm also all about adopting my baby from Ethiopia. So, let's put 'em together! What better way to raise the funds to bring my baby home? 


Here's what sponsoring me entails:


If I finish the race, but get 'infected' you donate $1.
If I finish without infection, you donate $5.
If I finish in the top 50% of non-infected, you donate $10.
If I finish in the top 25% of non-infected, you donate $15.
If I finish in the top 10% of non-infected, you donate $20.




The more followers and sponsors I get, the more ridiculous costume I'll wear, too.   More to come on that.


Like and follow the 5K prep on Facebook here.


What else should I do to raise awareness, anticipation, and funds?

Slow Carb Diet, Part 2

I recently started a cool diet (which I explain a bit here).  I didn't get much into why I'm doing it, so I thought I'd expand on that.

Of course, the main point is to lose weight.  Since leaving the force workout regimen of the Air Force (as weak as it sometimes was), I packed on pounds.  This diet isn't about vanity for me, though.  It's about reducing how much I eat and rely on food to satisfy myself.  Eating too much is a vicious cycle, I've found, and it always leaves you wanting more than you need.  After being moved to adopt from Ethiopia, I've been increasingly convicted about my selfish dietary habits.  Only weeks ago I couldn't go more than a couple hours without needing to raid cabinets or hit the drive thru.

Also, I believe I mentioned the weight loss competition at my workplace.  Everyone pitched in $10, and the winner gets the sum.  I'm doing this for our adoption fund, as well.

Finally, I'm sick and tired of being lazy, sluggish, and lacking vitality I had only a couple years ago.  This slow carb kick is all about maintaining a steady blood sugar level to mitigate those carb crashes that make you want to curl up and watch TV instead of play with your kids, finish strong during your workday, or pay attention to your wife.  And lemme tell ya...it really does the trick.

So, I've had two weigh-ins since my last diet post.

End of Week 5: 196.8
End of Week 6: 194.7

Yeah, after six weeks I've lost 10 pounds!  That's 4.8% bodyweight since the start of the competition (I'm SO in the lead).  And the majority of that weight came off in the 15 days since I started the slow carb diet.

What does one typically eat for a slow carb meal?  Well, this is a typical dinner for me: Fajita chicken with homemade guac.

Rugged, easy on prep and cleanup, and all from scratch (even the fajita seasoning!).  The ultimate meal a guy can be proud of.  Hit me up for the recipe.

This hardly feels like dieting, by the way...

Why Adopt? Part 1: The Basics

Lindsey (my wife) and I are adopting a wee one from Ethiopia (ET).  Lots of folks are asking why, how, and all sorts of questions like that.


I'd like to answer the more common questions for folks.


Why Adopt?


We have two biological daughters, Makayla (3.5 years) and Addison (13 months).  About six months ago, before we attended the adoption hearing of our friends, I felt compelled to share with Lindsey that I was open to adopting.  Her face lit up as she shared that she had a burden for adoption for months.  So, we started the process of discussing and praying about adopting.


A few verses that made it easy for me to want to adopt:


James 1:27  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.


Here I feel it's blatantly laid out that ministering love to the unlovely and weak is a Christian imperative.  Does this mean that all are called to adopt?  Certainly not.  The LORD calls us to our own ministries.  But for me, this Scripture hit me in my deepest parts, and I couldn't shake it once I viewed it as a potential adoptive father.


John 14:18  I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.


Here Christ lays forth one of the most tender, sweetest images of the Father's love for us.  His chosen are His adopted children.   


Matthew 18:5  And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.

This is just one more example in the New Testament where Jesus sets forth the principle that ministering love to defenseless people is serving Him.

So, there's plenty of Scriptural justification for adopting.

Even more, I believe with all my heart that bringing someone into your home completely of your own accord and taking care of them as your own is an amazing sign of love.  Short of laying your life down for them, I can't think of any more radical a display of love.