First Step

A new habit for your first step

Reflecting

For June, I’ve been thinking about habits, progress, and fresh starts.  I want something simple.  A little habit that could get addictive.  Steady progress, methodically overloading.  And gaining a small victory each morning.  This is in addition to everything else so I want the minimal effective dose (and also want everyone to be able to participate so my long-suffering wife and kids are now on notice that they’ve been volunteered). 

Here it is: one single push-up on Thursday June 1.  One.  Please join me if you’d like.

Small print:

1. Do it when your feet touch the floor.  Literally your first step of the day.

2. Add one each day.  Go at your own tempo but keep them unbroken.

3. Repeat until failure.  Please comment below when you drop out / DNF.

In?  Everyone can start.  One person can finish.*

*Also possible that nobody finishes.  To finish, you complete a morning after the second to last person fails.  If no one completes a day alone, then everyone gets a “did not finish (DNF)”.

Training

This morning’s white board:

7 rounds –

• 4 power cleans 205 lbs.

• 28 double unders

But more important tomorrow morning for Memorial Day weekend:

I’m doing it in my weight vest alongside my son.  Tonight we’re watching Lone Survivor to celebrate the man we honor, Lt. Michael P. Murphy.  I’m going to miss the annual run up Slide Mountain but there was no way to fit both on the schedule.  Still getting in a run Sunday and Monday.  Up next:

Fueling

Tomahawk steak smoked on the Traeger

One of these from the New Canaan Butcher Shop, along with $400.00, is the prize for the bench press competition we’re holding.  I thought I’d try one to test it out.  Didn’t disappoint.  In terms of making sure that I’m hitting my macros and portioning correctly, I mostly just eat when I’m hungry and stop eating when I’m not hungry anymore (and “not hungry” is long before “full”).  To stop myself from just finishing a serving out of laziness, I keep glass containers handy for leftovers.  I’m not a trashcan.  I shouldn’t eat garbage or too much food because it is there.

Supplementing

Peptides are great for joint pain and recovery, but I’m also making sure I get enough omega-3s.  Pills are better than nothing, but I’m skipping the pills and eating sardines. 

Measuring

Modern culture and the standard American diet have led to debilitating and terminal diseases of prosperity.  In one respect, this is so bad that it’s good: it confirms that you don’t want to be average.  You don’t want to live a sedentary life eating processed foods.  It isn’t okay.  It so obviously, demonstrably doesn’t work and should be rejected in full.  Whatever your intentions are, you can look at this and just know that we as individuals and families need to start over and go in a completely different direction to live the best versions of our lives.

Recovering

If you didn’t read it, please check out my conversation with Gilbert Schuerch yesterday.  I always try to set aside the nine hours he recommends so that we can be sure to get a good eight hours of sleep, but will be certain to do so tonight so that I can be as fresh as possible for Murph. 

Closing

If you’re traveling to someplace fun for the long weekend and need something to listen to, you might enjoy this conversation between two of my favorite people — Jocko Willink and Dave Castro — on finding ways to get stronger, faster and fitter:

Finally, remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  They secured our liberty. Make good use of it.