How To Stick to the plan
==============
Introduction
==============
For those of you that have been "in the loop" you know that I've committed to doing at least a 1/2 marathon a month.
Well, this weekend I was supposed to be in Atlanta at the Atlanta ING 1/2 Marathon with my long distance coach Winston Williams, but I had a death in the family and I had to attend my
Uncle's funeral.
Well needless to say, we don't schedule death on the calendar, so needless to say, my boat was definitely rocked, but sometimes when your boat is rocked, you just have to relax and ride the waves - and that's what we did.
Instead of attending 1/2 Marathon in Atlanta, my mother, my father, my wife, my aunt and myself did our due diligence and met up in the morning in Boca Raton and completed the following mileage respectively:
My Mother:
My mother trained for her first marathon and completed 13.1 miles. I was super proud of her. She walked for most of it and ran some of it. I was super proud of her. She dropped two dress sizes. I would like to tell you how much weight she's lost, but my mom won't tell me her weight :-)
My mom, was in a lot better shape than I though she was. She didn't have one moment of discomfort for the whole 13.1 miles and then today she said, "I'm fully recovered, I feel great."
I don't think you all know how good it feels to watch your parents working out, getting in shape and staying in shape.
My Father (Rufus Ferguson):
Big Rufus, completed his 2nd 1/2 marathon. This time he not only walked but also ran a portion of it. My father LOOKS IMPRESSIVE. He now wears my clothes. My father has gone from 256 pounds to 233 pounds. My family members saw my father and they were shocked. My father ate the 1/2 marathon like it was nothing. He told me how much he appreciated me for helping him turn his life around in terms of his nutritional practices and discipline. He also got on the phone immediately after completing the half marathon to speak with Coach Winston.
My Aunt Faustina:
My aunt, completed her first 1/2 marathon. She was super excited and even smiled while looking at the blisters on her feet. My aunt started training with me in January. Then she was 234 pounds and now she is 203. She will be around 185-175 pounds by the end of the year and she's doing it the right way (I'll explain how she did this tomorrow).
My Wife - TRACI (The Trooper)!!!!
If I haven't told you how amazing my wife is, let me tell you - my wife is AMAZING. My wife and I woke up 4 hours before my parents and my aunt and we hit the road to do 13.1 miles before they started and we timed our run so that we would meet them at the starting point when they arrived. We started at 4:30 in the morning and did 13.1 miles. My wife did the 13.1 miles and said, "this is easy." I knew that she would say that because that's the same thing that I said when I was running my first marathon.
I knew my wife would be hurting by mile 18 but she didn't know how bad. We ran for 14 miles until we caught up with my family and then we walked with them. At mile 18 I told Traci that we would start running for just one mile so that she can experience that pain that comes at mile 18 when you stop and then try to start running again. At the 16 mile point, Traci told me that SHE WAS NOT GOING TO RUN ANOTHER STEP.
She began to do the thing that the Marathon does to all of us. She began to transform into "that" person. The person who doesn't want to talk, negotiate, or hear from anyone or anybody who is going to try to get more out of her than she is willing to give right now. So I began to coach her. I said in the most loving, soft, yet harsh way, "Stop being a Chump!"
At mile 18 the Chump Monsters will begin to creep into your mind and they will try to create a Chump Moment in your life and if you don't get a dose of CHUMP REPELLENT immediately you will not be able to create a Champ Moment, you will be reduced to the realm of Chumpness.
So I did what any good coach would do.... I pulled out the Chump Repellent.........
I reminded her that this is no monumental task for someone who has pushed out a baby, graduated from Georgetown University with Phi Beta Kappa honors, and for someone who has been identified as one of the top Internal Medicine physician in the country, and I told her that anyone who can put up with me can DEFINITELY handle 26.2 miles!
Needless to say, at mile 18 my wife was running! :-) And she was getting it. I had to tell my wife to stop by the time that we got to mile 19. My wife at up the last 7 miles like it was a piece of chocolate cake. She did the thing that all people who complete a marathon have to do.
They have to get to the point where they realize that you don't complete the second half of the marathon with your legs, you complete them with your mind.
I've told many of you before and I'll say it again - my wife is "The Bomb!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3uQeaduowg
(Note: just so that you know, the halfway point of the marathon is not 13.1 miles, its 18 miles).
Myself - Rhadi Ferguson
I had the monumental task of creating the 1st Annual, Unofficial, Marathon and 1/2 Marathon Family Fitness Event.
I've figured this, "I can't help everyone else and not help my family?" So I require my family to invest in themselves, just like everyone else and I make sure that they understand the importance of getting in shape. I don't do any freebies, hook-ups or etc.,. because if a double Whopper with cheese or french fries from McDonalds are important to you then what do you do? You buy them.
Well, if your fitness and getting in shape is important to you, what should you do? You should invest in it. So I tell some of my family members to save up that Whopper with Cheese money and put it in the right place and get yourself in shape.
So, here's what I did. I had to make sure that I did over 26 miles so that I could prepare myself for the 31 mile race that I have to complete in May. So I did 27.4 miles and I HATED every step past mile 20 :-)
I'm really not looking forward to doing 29 miles in the next couple of weeks but I know it has to be done. Goodness Gracious!!!!
On another note, I was super proud of my family who are also clients of mine and I was proud of the things that they accomplished. They have really made a huge impression on my other family members and I believe that we will change the fabric of the family, one thread at a time.
=========
Closing
=========
God is good! :-)
Even though we weren't able to go to Atlanta, we were able to do what we set out to do, we just had to make some adjustments. Coach Winston Williams still did the 1/2 Marathon in Atlanta, so in actuality, we all did the 1/2 marathon together, we just did it in different locations. Its so cool to start a workout or a race at the same time as someone else in a different city and then to communicate by cell phone and certain points in the race and during the finish. You feel like you've done it together, even though you haven't.
Recently I had to coach one of my clients, Taraje Williams-Murray, via cell phone and it worked out great. You can't always do this but there are times when being there remotely is better than not being there at all.
Take care and we'll *talk* soon,
Rhadi Ferguson
The Fergusons :-)
P.S. For my BJJ, Judo and Submission Wrestling fans, I want you to know that I'm having a No-Charge Teleseminar tonight at 9pm EST titled: Grappling Excellence.
You must attend this F.R.E.E. Teleclinic there will be some great information available for you. To get in on this tonight here are the instructions:
You can either call in or listen in on the website. It’s up to you.
Whatever you do….. Don’t miss it. It is going to be absolutely phenomenal.
EVENT: Grappling Excellence
DATE & TIME: Monday, March 31st at 9:00pm Eastern
FORMAT: Simulcast! (Attend via Phone or Webcast — it’s your choice) TO ATTEND THIS EVENT, CLICK THIS LINK NOW…
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=2395416
Do Not Miss This
Introduction
==============
For those of you that have been "in the loop" you know that I've committed to doing at least a 1/2 marathon a month.
Well, this weekend I was supposed to be in Atlanta at the Atlanta ING 1/2 Marathon with my long distance coach Winston Williams, but I had a death in the family and I had to attend my
Uncle's funeral.
Well needless to say, we don't schedule death on the calendar, so needless to say, my boat was definitely rocked, but sometimes when your boat is rocked, you just have to relax and ride the waves - and that's what we did.
Instead of attending 1/2 Marathon in Atlanta, my mother, my father, my wife, my aunt and myself did our due diligence and met up in the morning in Boca Raton and completed the following mileage respectively:
My Mother:
My mother trained for her first marathon and completed 13.1 miles. I was super proud of her. She walked for most of it and ran some of it. I was super proud of her. She dropped two dress sizes. I would like to tell you how much weight she's lost, but my mom won't tell me her weight :-)
My mom, was in a lot better shape than I though she was. She didn't have one moment of discomfort for the whole 13.1 miles and then today she said, "I'm fully recovered, I feel great."
I don't think you all know how good it feels to watch your parents working out, getting in shape and staying in shape.
My Father (Rufus Ferguson):
Big Rufus, completed his 2nd 1/2 marathon. This time he not only walked but also ran a portion of it. My father LOOKS IMPRESSIVE. He now wears my clothes. My father has gone from 256 pounds to 233 pounds. My family members saw my father and they were shocked. My father ate the 1/2 marathon like it was nothing. He told me how much he appreciated me for helping him turn his life around in terms of his nutritional practices and discipline. He also got on the phone immediately after completing the half marathon to speak with Coach Winston.
My Aunt Faustina:
My aunt, completed her first 1/2 marathon. She was super excited and even smiled while looking at the blisters on her feet. My aunt started training with me in January. Then she was 234 pounds and now she is 203. She will be around 185-175 pounds by the end of the year and she's doing it the right way (I'll explain how she did this tomorrow).
My Wife - TRACI (The Trooper)!!!!
If I haven't told you how amazing my wife is, let me tell you - my wife is AMAZING. My wife and I woke up 4 hours before my parents and my aunt and we hit the road to do 13.1 miles before they started and we timed our run so that we would meet them at the starting point when they arrived. We started at 4:30 in the morning and did 13.1 miles. My wife did the 13.1 miles and said, "this is easy." I knew that she would say that because that's the same thing that I said when I was running my first marathon.
I knew my wife would be hurting by mile 18 but she didn't know how bad. We ran for 14 miles until we caught up with my family and then we walked with them. At mile 18 I told Traci that we would start running for just one mile so that she can experience that pain that comes at mile 18 when you stop and then try to start running again. At the 16 mile point, Traci told me that SHE WAS NOT GOING TO RUN ANOTHER STEP.
She began to do the thing that the Marathon does to all of us. She began to transform into "that" person. The person who doesn't want to talk, negotiate, or hear from anyone or anybody who is going to try to get more out of her than she is willing to give right now. So I began to coach her. I said in the most loving, soft, yet harsh way, "Stop being a Chump!"
At mile 18 the Chump Monsters will begin to creep into your mind and they will try to create a Chump Moment in your life and if you don't get a dose of CHUMP REPELLENT immediately you will not be able to create a Champ Moment, you will be reduced to the realm of Chumpness.
So I did what any good coach would do.... I pulled out the Chump Repellent.........
I reminded her that this is no monumental task for someone who has pushed out a baby, graduated from Georgetown University with Phi Beta Kappa honors, and for someone who has been identified as one of the top Internal Medicine physician in the country, and I told her that anyone who can put up with me can DEFINITELY handle 26.2 miles!
Needless to say, at mile 18 my wife was running! :-) And she was getting it. I had to tell my wife to stop by the time that we got to mile 19. My wife at up the last 7 miles like it was a piece of chocolate cake. She did the thing that all people who complete a marathon have to do.
They have to get to the point where they realize that you don't complete the second half of the marathon with your legs, you complete them with your mind.
I've told many of you before and I'll say it again - my wife is "The Bomb!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3uQeaduowg
(Note: just so that you know, the halfway point of the marathon is not 13.1 miles, its 18 miles).
Myself - Rhadi Ferguson
I had the monumental task of creating the 1st Annual, Unofficial, Marathon and 1/2 Marathon Family Fitness Event.
I've figured this, "I can't help everyone else and not help my family?" So I require my family to invest in themselves, just like everyone else and I make sure that they understand the importance of getting in shape. I don't do any freebies, hook-ups or etc.,. because if a double Whopper with cheese or french fries from McDonalds are important to you then what do you do? You buy them.
Well, if your fitness and getting in shape is important to you, what should you do? You should invest in it. So I tell some of my family members to save up that Whopper with Cheese money and put it in the right place and get yourself in shape.
So, here's what I did. I had to make sure that I did over 26 miles so that I could prepare myself for the 31 mile race that I have to complete in May. So I did 27.4 miles and I HATED every step past mile 20 :-)
I'm really not looking forward to doing 29 miles in the next couple of weeks but I know it has to be done. Goodness Gracious!!!!
On another note, I was super proud of my family who are also clients of mine and I was proud of the things that they accomplished. They have really made a huge impression on my other family members and I believe that we will change the fabric of the family, one thread at a time.
=========
Closing
=========
God is good! :-)
Even though we weren't able to go to Atlanta, we were able to do what we set out to do, we just had to make some adjustments. Coach Winston Williams still did the 1/2 Marathon in Atlanta, so in actuality, we all did the 1/2 marathon together, we just did it in different locations. Its so cool to start a workout or a race at the same time as someone else in a different city and then to communicate by cell phone and certain points in the race and during the finish. You feel like you've done it together, even though you haven't.
Recently I had to coach one of my clients, Taraje Williams-Murray, via cell phone and it worked out great. You can't always do this but there are times when being there remotely is better than not being there at all.
Take care and we'll *talk* soon,
Rhadi Ferguson
The Fergusons :-)
P.S. For my BJJ, Judo and Submission Wrestling fans, I want you to know that I'm having a No-Charge Teleseminar tonight at 9pm EST titled: Grappling Excellence.
You must attend this F.R.E.E. Teleclinic there will be some great information available for you. To get in on this tonight here are the instructions:
You can either call in or listen in on the website. It’s up to you.
Whatever you do….. Don’t miss it. It is going to be absolutely phenomenal.
EVENT: Grappling Excellence
DATE & TIME: Monday, March 31st at 9:00pm Eastern
FORMAT: Simulcast! (Attend via Phone or Webcast — it’s your choice) TO ATTEND THIS EVENT, CLICK THIS LINK NOW…
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=2395416
Do Not Miss This
posted by Rhadi Ferguson at
2:16 PM
1 Comments:
Hello Rhadi,
My husband David and I met you this weekend at the Judo Nationals in VA. Beach. I was hoping to get to meet your wife and son Saturday, but did not see them with you from afar. I really enjoyed this family blog and you are blessed to have such a great family and to get not only your wife, but parents and and aunt to do both 1/2 and in Traci's case a full marathon. I am really putting my all into triathlon and really appreciate what you said in this blog as well as in person about being all in, both physically, mentally and nutritionally. I need to lose about 25 lbs to do well, yet I can't seem to commit to doing what it takes to lose it with poor eating habits. I now see that I must want it bad enough to be willing to eat healthy. Working out 6 days a week (sometimes twice a day) is not enough. Thanks for sharing your family experience and keep up the good work!
Vanda Kennedy
By
Anonymous, At
6:46 PM
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