Day Zero Project

101 Things To Do In 1001 Days Project

http://www.dayzeroproject.com/

The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (i.e. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable, or clearly defined.  Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (i.e. represent some amount of effort on your part).

 

Start date: 6/1/2009

End date: 2/26/2012

 

 Education

1. Go back to school.  Change major to Exercise & Sport Science.

2. Earn my degree. Graduate.

3. Learn 25 new words. Use them regularly.

4. Learn to read music.

5. Learn some sign language.

6. Read 3 new books every year.

 

Travel

7. Vacation to Las Vegas.

8. Vacation to Key West.

9. Vacation to California.

10. Vacation to Myrtle Beach.

11. Take a cruise and island hop in the Caribbean.

12. Take a road trip with friends.

13. Get my passport. Look forward to the first stamp.

14. Take my first plane ride. Get the window seat.

15. Get to Marsh Creek every summer.

16. Go camping at least once a year.

17. Spend a day at an amusement park every summer.

18. Plan a trip to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio.  Ride every roller coaster.

 

Home/Organizing

19.  Simplify my possessions.  Donate the things that others could put to better use.

20. Take down paneling in bedroom, re-insulate walls, put up sheetrock, and paint a pretty color.

21. Have new windows installed that don’t rattle.

 

Self Improvement

22. Research my family genealogy.

23. Indulge in friendly small talk once a day.

24. Contact each of my close friends at least once a month to see how they are doing.

25. Give one compliment every day.

26. Say thank you as often as possible.

27. Don’t swear around baby Bella.

28. Stop biting nails.

 

Health/Wellness

29. Go to the doctor twice a year for routine check-ups.

30. Go to dentist at least once a year for the regular stuff.

31. Floss every day.

32. Stop squinting. Wear glasses when needed.

33. Go to a chiropractor.

34. Get a professional massage.

35. Spend a day at the spa. Get a Brazilian wax.  Ooo la la!

36. Try acupuncture.

37. Use sun lotion every day.  No excuses.

38. Drink a gallon of water every day. 

 

Fitness

39. Do 50 push-ups without stopping.

40. Do 10 chin-ups without assistance.

41. Buy a triathlon bike.

42. Bike to the shore.

43. Take yoga or pilates classes.

44. Complete a 100-mile century bike ride.

45. Complete a triathlon (Olympic or Sprint). 

46. Complete a half-marathon.

47. Complete a half-Ironman in summer 2010.

48. Complete the Broad Street Run.

49. Climb the Manayunk Wall.

 

Finances

50. Get out of debt – educational and otherwise.

51. Start an IRA.

52. Create an investment portfolio.

53. Invest in a depressed stock.

54. Use more coupons.

55. Put $100 on black.  Just for fun.

56. Have $5000 in my savings account.

 

Hobbies

57. Go to the movies 3 times a year.

58. Learn how to ride a unicycle.

59. Learn how to play the piano.

60. Take ballroom dancing lessons.

61. Take up archery. Hit one bullseye.

62. Learn how to fly a helicopter.

63. See Jimmy Buffett in concert every summer.

64. Invest in a new digital camera.  Take more pictures.

65. Draw something new every 6 months.

66. Climb a tree.

67. Visit a winery.

68. Go to a beer festival.

69. Make my own Sangria.

70. Go to an Eagles game.

71. Go to a Flyers game.

 

Recreation

72. Go skydiving.

73. Go bungee jumping.

74. Go scuba diving.

75. Go skiing/snowboarding.

76. Go rock climbing.

77. Go zip-lining.

78. Buy a kayak.

79. Try white water rafting.

80. Canoe down a river.

81. Try surfing.

 

Charity

82. Give blood.

83. Pay the toll for the next driver.

84. Put change in expired meters.

85. Join Habitat for Humanity.

86. Plant a tree and/or flowers.

87. Participate in at least 3 charity events each year.

88. Donate $1 to a good cause for each item not completed on the list.

 

Other

89. Place flowers on an old unattended grave.

90. Write a thank-you letter regarding a product or service. Mail it.

91. Write a complaint letter regarding a product or service. Mail it.

92. Send a message in a bottle. Put this list inside it.

93. Write a personal manifesto. Update it regularly.

94. Test drive my dream car.

95. Make a pizza from scratch.

96. Order the most expensive item on the menu.

97. Eat new sushi. Ask what it is afterwards.

98. Cook Thanksgiving dinner.

99.  Throw a luau every summer.

100. Randomly mail cards to my favorite people. 

101. Make a list of 101 things that make me happy.

Awesome Weekend!

One of the biggest sacrifices I’ve made over the last month and the one that I’m most proud of is that I’ve giving up driving while I’m training for this triathlon.  All of the places I tend to visit on a regular basis are easily accessible by bike so I figured why not take advantage of those extra miles?  The best part about cycling all over is that no matter what my mood is when I leave the house, I always arrive at my destination feeling happy and energized.  I’ve been averaging 45-60 miles a week on the bike.  I even got a few rain rides in and I have to admit, they are a lot of fun despite everyone looking at you like you’re a nut, but they really don’t know what they’re missing!  

 

The weather couldn’t have been more perfect on Saturday.  I left my house around 7:45AM to meet my teammates and coaches outside of the Please Touch Museum for our team bike ride.  I try to make it to every practice, but I’m especially glad I didn’t miss this one.  All three of our coaches showed up.  It is so awesome of them to take time out of their own training schedules to work with us.  The best part of the day is that I got to experience most of the West River Drive side of the race course.  There are a few climbs, but nothing I can’t handle (all while staying in my saddle, too).  I rounded out my morning with 34 miles on the bike and I had a blast.  

 

When I got home, I grabbed my running shoes for a lap around my local park.  I figured I won’t have many chances between now and the triathlon to put in a good 25-30 miles on the bike and be able to follow it up with a transition run, so I took advantage of the opportunity.  My legs felt great and they didn’t feel tight or heavy, which is very reassuring that my training is coming along as it should.  My legs are resilient that way and it seems like the deeper I get into a workout, the better they perform.  My lungs are a different story.  The asthma has a mind of it’s own and there are good and bad days, but I’m confident I’ll be breathing just fine on race day.

Happy Saturday!

Well, I had a long long, busy, yet productive Saturday. I woke up at 7AM and got ready to head out to Fairmount Park to meet my team for the bike ride. We rode down Black Road (which was quite a fun climb on the way back up!) and all along West River Drive for an hour. There was some kind of walk going on for Leukemia, so part of the road was closed off to cyclists, but we still had plenty of miles to ride.

I got in 40 miles on the bike today and on my way home I noticed a 5K going on at Penn Treaty Park just off of Delaware Ave. It was the 1st Annual Fishtown Shad Fest/5K Run.    

Since it didn’t start until 1PM, I still had time. Feeling like superwoman, crazy me signed up, but I had to get home to grab my running shoes. When I got home, I showered (because I really needed one after that bike ride!) and headed back to the park. I did okay for the first 2 miles, but I made a smart decision to walk the remaining 1.1 miles – not that I was trying to break any records. My legs didn’t have anymore go left and I didn’t want to push it because it was really warm out and I still had to bike myself home. I think I would have done a lot better at an earlier hour when it’s still cool out. In any case, the race was free, and I got a free tshirt, and a free Walt Wit beer, and free fruit and water. Oh! And a free chilly cheese hot dog. I never had one before, but mmm mmm was that tasty!!

There were a ton of people at the Penn Treaty Park, so I decided to come back later in the day to do some fundraising. My mom went along with me and I raised $165 in about an hour. A lot of people there had been drinking all day and were therefore more generous. One woman that was there ran a marathon with Team In Training 3 years ago and we chatted for about 20 minutes. One man got teary eyed when I told him I was fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. He said he was very familiar with the organization because his daughter had leukemia. Fortunately, today she is great, and healthy, and cancer free. He made a $100 donation! Then asked if he could give me a hug and thanked me for doing what I’m doing. It made me feel really good and reminded me of the reason I’m doing what I’m doing. I told him I’d do the triathlon in honor of his daughter, Nora, and wear her name on my jersey on race day. He said he would be there cheering all of the team on.

So not only do I have to focus on my running more (which I already knew), but I have to do it outdoors. Running on the treadmill is so much easier than being out on the asphalt and it’s not going to do me any good on race day if I’m not prepared for that. Obviously, my cycling has been great. Actually, my cycling is 110% better now than compared to this time last year. That weight training made me so much stronger and helped me unbelievably.   However, the last two months of my training will be running, running, and more running.  Time to buckle down and deal with it! 

I ordered a Road ID today. It’s a wristband that is lazer engraved with all of my emergency contact information. It contains my name, address, home phone number, my mom’s cell, my brother’s cell, and at the bottom the quote I chose says “LiveStrong”. I bought the yellow wristband, so it seemed fitting. It’s made of that school bag strap canvas material and has a stainless steel plate. I’ll have it by May 1 and be a little safer out there on the roads. On my bib tag (race number paper) there was coupon for $2 off a Road ID, so I took advantage of it and didn’t want to put it off any longer. Just like wearing a helmet while riding, it’s a necessity. And it’s just a damn smart idea.

 

It looks like this:

 

I’m not too fond of the sunburn I got today, but boy do I love the smell in the air of a summer evening.

I had a great Saturday and thankfully I had the whole day off!  Time to rest up on Sunday and enjoy the wonderful weather.

Matty Reed

Matty Reed Signature D-6…

I want! I want!! I want!!!  What a sexy awesome bike inspired by the Go Green movement to save the environment!

Good ol’ Vinny

“I firmly believe that any (wo)man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that (s)he holds dear, is the moment when (s)he has worked (her)his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle… victorious.”

-Vince Lombardi

What the world needs now…

Training (March 29 – April 4)

Sunday:

• Off!!

Monday:

• Run – 35 minutes

Tuesday:

• Swim – 45 minutes
• Bike - 40 minutes

Wednesday:

• Strength Training
• Swim – 40 minutes

Thursday:

• Swim – 45 minutes
• Run – 20 minutes

Friday:

• Strength Training
• Run – 35 minutes

Saturday:

• Team Bike Ride – Fairmount Park Memorial Hall – 9AM
• Team Run following bike ride

 

I cut back my strength training to only two days a week because it takes quite a toll on my body. My sessions have been lasting an hour and a half on average. Three hours of sculpting my guns each week is enough for this aspiring triathlete.

I ran 2 miles today and felt absolutely wonderful. No aches or pains. No being out of breath (thanks for the asthma meds, Dr. Levyn!). And I’m learning to keep my heart rate where it should be without the heart rate monitor. I could have run further today, but since I fit my run in between my two jobs, my time was limited.  I felt very accomplished today.

I feel good and strong. It’s wonderful feeling I never take for granted.

Less hectic week!

Training (March 22 – March 28)

Sunday:

• Off

Monday:

• Swim – 35 minutes
• Run – 30 minutes

Tuesday:

• Bike – 35 minutes

Wednesday:

• Strength Training
• Run – 35 minutes

Thursday:

• Bike – 75 minutes
• Run – 15 minutes right after

Friday:

• Strength Training
• Bike – 40 minutes

Saturday:

• Team Run – 8:15AM
• Team Swim – 9:00AM

Worky work, Busy Bee

Training (March 15-March 21)

This week is going to be interesting.  I will officially be Aunt Denise to Bella Madison Gormley on Monday.  I also begin my orientation for Target on Friday at 10AM.  I’ll be handling one full time job, one part time job, one new baby, and training on top of it all.  Wish me luck!

Sunday:

• Run – 40 minutes

Monday:

• Run – 20 minutes
• Bike – 35 minutes

Tuesday:

• Strength Training
• Swim – 30 minutes

Wednesday:

• Bike – 60 minutes
• Run – 40 minutes

Thursday:

• Strength Training
• Bike – 45 minutes

Friday:

• OFF

Saturday:

• Team Bike Ride – 9AM
• Lower Perkiomen Valley Park

Wheelset

Dear Mavic Ksyrium SL’s, 

You will be mine.  Hopefully before the triathlon.

Love,

Me

Bryn Mawr Running Co.

Special thanks are in order to the guys at Bryn Mawr Running Co. for waking up extra early on a Sunday morning to take a 3 mile run with Team In Training and offer a running shoe/tri apparel/other essentials clinic.  Every one of them was awesome and helpful. Despite the fact that I live a half hour away from the store, they have gained a new and very satisfied customer!!  I’ll be back for all of my running and triathlon needs.

I bought my first official pair of technical running shoes on Sunday (and at 20% off!  Woot Woot!). Turns out that I have high arches.  Not freakishly high arches, but high enough to cause me to under pronate slightly. Fortunately there’s a shoe to fix everything!  Check out my Mizuno Wave Rider 12’s:

I’ll only use these for training. They are ridiculously comfortable and should keep me going strong mile after mile.  I wish I could afford to buy another pair or two just to wear around all of the time!

Thanks again Bryn Mawr Running!

My legs hate me

Monday morning strength training.  Weeeee!!!

4 Circuits:

• 12 reps 50lb leg extensions
• 12 reps 40lb Smith machine squats
• 12 reps 30lb leg curls
• 20 reps 100lb leg presses
• 12 reps 20lb hack squats
• 4 chin-ups (assisted, but I’m getting really good!)
• 12 reps 20lb arm presses
• 12 reps 40lb tricep push downs
• 2 minutes running on the box
• 25 reps 80lb rope crunches
• 45 decline crunches
• 100 regular crunches 
• 1 minute break

I had to skip my cardio today to make it on time for a job interview.

Conclusion:  I got the job at Target!  Horray!  My orientation is next Tuesday at 5PM.

Recession?  What recession?  I have two jobs now!

Here we go!

Training Schedule (March 8 – March 14)

Sunday:

• Team Run – 8AM

Monday:

• Strength Training
• Run – 35 minutes

Tuesday:

• Bike – 40 minutes
• Swim – 25 minutes

Wednesday:

• Strength Training
• Run – 30 minutes

Thursday:

• Bike – 45 minutes

Friday:

• Strength Training

Saturday:

• Team Swim practice – 9AM
• Bike – 75 minutes

Taste of Spring

Today’s team practice went great!  

Since I planned to bike out to practice for the first time, I left the house at 7:20AM.  It was a little chilly out, but I was prepared for it. Despite living in Philly my entire life, I’m not too familiar with the Schuylkill River area. I took a quick look at a map before leaving the house and thought I planned out a good route in my head, but alas, I still got lost in West Philly. Well, lost isn’t the right word. I have a really great sense of direction and had a good idea where I was, but I just couldn’t find the streets I wanted to be on. I’m fond of getting ‘lost’. It really helps me learn my way, more so than if I were driving. In any case, I made it to swim practice just in time.  

I’m really improving with swimming. In the beginning, I was just trying to focus on too many things at once. So I would be thinking about my head position and my stroke and if my hips were at the surface… all while neglecting my breathing. Oops!  I think I got it under control now. I hope to perfect my breathing techniques soon.

On my way home I got a little turned around too. I found myself down on Drexel’s campus at 34th and Chestnut and I couldn’t get my bearings. Being downtown has that effect on me. I consulted google maps and figured it out. Hopefully by next weekend I’ll have a good direct route to and from St. Joe’s and just better familiarity with the area.

Today should have been a 22 mile bike ride round trip, but I added 8 miles worth of being lost! I didn’t mind my 30 mile day, especially with the beautiful weather. That plus an hour of quality time swimming with my teammates. I should have stopped by the local track to run a mile before coming home! Although, that may have been too much. I have a bad habit of overtraining.

It was my first long ride since October and I feel really great. I feel strong and my stamina is through the roof. My body feels like it’s ready for more, but with only 8 hours of sleep in the last 2 nights my brain needed more rest so I took a nap.

Tomorrow is going to be another beautiful day and I’ll be up bright and early running with my team followed by a shoe clinic at the Bryn Mawr Running Co.  I can’t wait!

I also can’t wait to gain my extra hour of daylight!  Wahoo!

No more snow!

I had a killer strength training session today (rescheduled because of the snow).

• 12 reps 60lb leg extensions
• 12 reps 60lb Smith machine squat
• 12 reps 40lb leg curl
• 12 reps 20lb hack squat
• break

We repeated this over 5 circuits and switched the order each time.  Then we moved on to upper body.

• 4 chin-ups (assisted)
• 8 reps 75lb bench press
• 12 reps 40lb tricep push downs
• 2 minutes running on the box
• 30 reps 80lb rope crunches
• 25 reps decline twist crunches with 5lb weights

We repeated this over 5 circuits as well.  My arms and legs hate me!

After weight training, I spent 40 minutes in the pool.  It really helped loosen up a lot of muscles.  My swimming has really improved over the last two weeks because of a few simple pointers from the TNT coaches.  I’ve finally found a good breathing rhythm too.  Wahoo!

Is it Spring yet??

Training Schedule (March 1 – March 7)

Sunday:

Off - wahoo!

Monday:

• Strength Training
• Swim – 30 minutes

Tuesday:

• Bike – 40 minutes

Wednesday:

• Strength Training
• Run – 25 minutes

Thursday:

• Bike – 40 minutes

Friday:

• Strength Training
• Run – 20 minutes

Saturday:

• Team swim practice at St. Joe’s University – 9AM
• Bike – 60 minutes

Words To Live By…

Desiderata – by Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul. 

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

I Can Dream About You

Birthday and/or Christmas present(s)?  Anyone?  Anyone?

 

Anyone?

 

Protein

Every athlete needs their protein to support muscle recovery and growth.

Denise’s money saving tip of the week:

• Go to Sam’s Club.
• Look for EAS Whey Protein Powder in the health section.
• Look for the 5 lb resealable bag of protein power for just $30!!
• 23 grams of protein!
• Bask in the savings.

Nutritional Facts:

Chocolate

• Calories: 130
• Fat: 2.5g
• Saturated Fat: 1g
• Protein: 23g
• Sodium: 50mg
• Carbohydrates: 3g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 1g

Enjoy!

Consistency is key.

I highly recommend weight training to everyone. On the days when I’m with my trainer, I weight train before cardio. The idea behind this is that you burn off your carbs through the weights and by the time you get to cardio, your body begins burning fat for energy. Some people would disagree with this line of thinking, but hey, my results speak for themselves.  And how!

Here is an example of my circuit training from today:

• 12 reps of 50lb leg extensions
• 12 reps of 40lb Smith machine squats
• 4 chin-ups (assisted)
• 12 reps of 10lb tricep crossover extensions
• 12 reps 50lb leg extensions
• 12 reps 40lb leg curls
• 20 reps 90lb leg press
• 2 minutes of running on the box
• 30 rope crunches
• 25 decline crunches with 10lb weight
• 125 regular crunches
• 1 minute rest

For the last 2 circuits, we swapped the tricep crossover extensions with 12 reps of 20lb shoulder presses.  I’m getting stronger!

Most days we will do 5 circuits. Each training session lasts about an hour to an hour and a half. We target different muscle groups on different days and there is always plenty of variety. That’s the other key: trick the body a lot.  It will love you for it in the long run!

As for my cardio today, I did a 5 minute warmup, followed by running a mile and a half in about 15 minutes. A nice leisurely pace. I finished with 10 minutes of walking as my cool down. I also walk to and from the gym every day, so that’s an additional 2 miles. It works out great.

Just for the record, I hate running indoors. I hate cycling indoors even more. I had a ton of energy today and probably could have used it to run 5K or more, but I just get too hot, too sweaty, and therefore too uncomfortable to run any great distances while at the gym. I absolutely can’t wait for the warmer weather!

One of the greatest ideas ever: treadmills with fans built into the console!  

The results are in!

Back in mid-December, I decided to hire a personal trainer at Juniata Fitness to give me a bit of a head start with my training. His name is James and I meet with him three days a week (usually M-W-F) for weight training and cardio.  I can’t speak highly enough of this man, so I’ll let my results speak for me.  

In just 2 months of working with him I have lost:

• 20 lbs
• 4 dress sizes
• 7% body fat
• 7 points from my BMI

In just 60 days, he helped me achieve results that I had been trying to attain for years and years. I feel great, my energy is through the roof, and it is just a constant source of motivation.

If you’re looking for an upbeat personal trainer with a background in nutrition who offers lots of support and encouragement and all for a very reasonable price, look no further.  James is your man. He truly just wants to help his clients look and feel their best.  I guarantee you’ll see results if you work with him and follow the meal plan. 

Act now and I can get you a 7 day free trial membership to Juniata Fitness along with a free personal training session with James.