Rhadi, Traci, and Rufus Ferguson

Today Is Our Anniversary (I Love You Traci!!)

2009-06-30T16:37:00.002-04:00

June 30th

Today is our 7th Anniversary. It seems just like yesterday when my son was born and I was training and studying at the Olympic Training Center. Now the Ph.D. is finished, my son is 3 and my wife and I are chilling in Cocoa Beach by the water. It’s weird.

I still remember what life was like when we lived in Columbia, Maryland and we used to have this coach that had a permanent divot in it. It was the worse coach ever. If you slept on it, you were guaranteed to have a hurt back upon your awakening. We laugh at it now and just thank God for the ability to continue to believe and continue to achieve.

Life has been something else, but I’ve definitely looking forward to spending more years with my wife. I never believed in that soulmate stuff when I was younger, but now I do. It’s amazing to love another person like this. Its different than how you love your children. Your children are your own flesh and blood, the relationship is a different level of tightness. Your spouse is your best friend, your confidante and the protector of your secrets, your shortcomings, your emotions and your biggest fan, supporter and encourager. The relationship is symbiotic and loving, while maitaining a constant ebb and flow of emotional highs and lows. Its weird but I love every minute of it. I love my wife, Traci, to the point where sleeping alone without her if I’m on a trip or she’s away at a conference is uncomfortable. I can be fully dressed and feel naked because it’s like I don’t have her there.

I know you don’t read my emails to hear all the sappy stuff, but when I come to you, I come with everything. I want you to know that I have a wife and a son. That I really am into fitness. That I believe in eating healthy. We go to church most Sundays. Afterwards we eat at Cracker Barrell and I eat the double meat breakfast which is all protein. I really love coaching and prefer training in the gi than without the gi and some other stuff that I’m sure you already know about me.

So that’s that.

I also wanted to let you know that I appreciated the emails that many of you sent concerning anniversary ideas. Because I was crunched for time, I took your ideas and mixed them all together and am staying at a hotel in Cocoa Beach that has free Salsa dancing lessons on Tuesday night and a free Jazz on Wednesday night and am staying in a room overlooking the water and ordering room service. I’ve already had two pieces of chocolate lava cake with ice cream. Tonight at 10pm the wife and I are headed to the gym…..DEFINITELY!

I also wanted to let you know of some new things that are coming up very soon…* I will have some 1 day and 2 day seminars in Boca Raton in the months of October, November and December on various topics. I will have some special guests as well.

* I will have some 2 day seminars in October/November in Melbourne, Florida. You can fly directly into Melbourne via Delta Airlines. It’s gonna be great

* The release of Morote Gari is here today >> http://www.MoroteGariDVD.com << href="http://www.thebodyweightworkout.com/">http://www.TheBodyWeightWorkout.com it costs absolutely nothing and will provide you with some great ideas for your personal fitness plan or for your clients if you train othersWith that being said….Thank you for your time and take care.Much Love and Respect,

Rhadi Ferguson, Ph.D.

P.S. If you do judo, bjj, or sambo, you MUST get this right now >> http://www.MoroteGariDVD.com

Lil' Rufus's Tire Workout With Daddy

2009-03-24T14:37:00.002-04:00

Rhadi Ferguson, PhD, CSCS
2004 Olympian
4-Time National Judo Champion
JUST "GOOGLE ME!!"
http://www.rhadiferguson.com
http://www.TheStrengthAndConditioningKing.com

Introducing...Dr. Rhadi Ferguson

2009-03-03T12:36:00.006-05:00

From the desk of Rhadi Ferguson, Ph.D.

On March 2nd at the time of 1:58pm I successfully defended my dissertation and was provided with the privilege to put the letters"Ph.D." after my name and "Dr." before it.

At this moment I can tell that I'm still somewhat numb.

I've been in school for a looooooooooonnnngggg time.

As a matter of fact, I can recall studying into the wee hours of the morning in Sydney, Australia while attending the 2000 Olympic Games as an alternate and training partner. I remember that it was around the same time when I was beginning my studies in the Masters of Arts of Teaching program at Howard University. It was the first of many late night international rendezvous that involved books, a desk and a couple cans of Coca-Cola Light(the European version of diet coke).

I can recall living at the Olympic Training Center and having to decline many offers to go out and hang out. It wasn't because I didn't want to, it was because I couldn't. My day was jam-packed with training, preparing, studying and developing papers which had to be submitted at the end of every quarter. It was a brutal existence. I can still recall what it was like to leave the tatami area in Spain after practice at one of the roughest training camps in the world and going straight to the Internet cafe while everyone else went into their room or to the beach to play.

I still remember the nights where I stayed up on the computers at the Olympic Training Center and went directly to the weight room with no sleep and working off of nothing but desire and espresso!!

I have plenty of stories for you but none quite hit home as much as the time I was doing my comprehensive examination. For my comps at Capella University I had 4 questions which I had to answer and each question was 15 pages a piece. And the questions as well as the entire submission had to fit a certain format which the university requires. Well, as I was finishing up my first 3 questions and getting ready to start my 4th question I heard my wife say, "Oh!" I said, "Oh what?" She said,"Oh! I'm having contractions!" To which I replied,"Oh." I not sure if my "oh" was the preamble of an"oh s---!" or an "oh no!" or an "oh, I guess we better go."

But I do know that I was feeling somewhat"oh"-ver whelmed. Well, the due date for my comprehensive exam was already set and it was about 3 days away. I can recall being in the hospital room tapping away on my laptop while my wife was in labor. I think the nurses thought I was the most insensitive father-to-be in the world,but they didn't understand that if you don't pass your comps YOU are OUT of the program. Period, end of story. And that was not an option. Needless to say, I finished but question 4 was not one of my best and I was given a onetime rewrite which I had to resubmit in 72 more hours. Staying up all night at the Olympic Training Center was definitely good practice for what I was going through. Needless to say, I passed and then began the dissertation process.

===============
The Doctoral Journey
===============

I can clearly say, without hesitation, that the journey to the Ph. D. was THE MOST DIFFICULT and one of the most fulfilling times in my life. There are numerous people that I need to thank as well as a number of people which I need to apologize to for, as my former wrestling coach Dr. Cotton said,misplaced anger.

It was certainly tough and certainly a thought provoking experience. I can clearly remember the day which I decided to pursue a Ph.D. I was attending one of the best graduations in the country, bar none, every year.That is,of course, the graduation at Howard University. And I saw the Ph.D.'s walk onto the stage to receive their degrees. At Howard, out of the thousands of students in attendance, ONLY the Ph.D.'s get to walk up on the stage to receive their degrees. And I remember hearing the name, Jorielle Brown. I couldn't believe it. I scrambled to get my hands on a program and searched through it and sure enough there was her name. I attended Howard during the same time Jorielle did and I couldn't believe that she was walking across the stage and receiving her Ph.D. I began to ask myself, what I had done at that point which was so significant. I couldn't find an answer. At that time, I was pursuing my Master's Degree and I had won a couple of National Championships and missed making the Olympic Team.

=============
Statistics....
=============

Statistically speaking....

This is an excerpt taken from the website
http://www.bankjr.com/teachers/tDoc.jsp?subject=FACS&doc=ProSports.html

Planning on Pro Sports?
Do you really have a chance of becoming a professional athlete?

Many students today believe they have a career in sports just waiting for them as soon as they get out of high school. The reality is that only 2.9 percent of all senior boys playing interscholastic basketball will go on to play in the NCAA. Only 1.3 percent of senior males playing in the NCAA will go on to play in the NBA. The chances of a high school senior boy who plays interscholastic football eventually being drafted by the NFL is approximately nine in 10,000 or.09 percent.

These statistics are startling considering that many more than this percentage plan on becoming a player in the NBA, MLB, or NHL. Many students don't realize how few athletes really make it in today's world of pro sports.These statistics are not only for basketball, but the chart below lists the statistics for Football, Baseball, Ice Hockey, and Soccer.

Check it out.

Estimated Probability of Competing in Athletics Beyond the High School Interscholastic Level

Student-Athletes
Men's Basketball
Women's Basketball
Football
Baseball
Men's Hockey
Men's Soccer

High School Student-Athletes
549,500
456,900
983,600
455,300
29,900
321,400

High School Senior Student-Athletes
157,000
130,500
281,000
130,100
8,500
91,800

NCAA Student-Athletes
15,700
14,400
56,500
25,700
3,700
18,200

NCAA Freshman Roster Positions
4,500
4,100
16,200
7,300
1,100
5,200

NCAA Senior Student-Athletes
3,500
3,200
12,600
5,700
800
4,100

NCAA Student-Athletes Drafted
44
32
250
600
33
76

Percent High School to NCAA
2.9
3.1
5.8
5.6
12.9
5.7

Percent NCAA to Professional
1.3
1.0
2.0
10.5
4.1
1.9

Percent High School to Professional
0.03
0.02
0.09
0.5
0.4
0.08

Note: These percentages are based on estimated data and should be considered approximations of the actual percentages.

(c) The National Collegiate Athletic Association

Now PLEASE understand this. The probability of becoming an OLYMPIAN is less than what you see on the chart.

With that being said, in 2002, after completing my Masters Degree, I thought that it would be very important to place a go a that is somewhat more achievable in place.

I said, somewhat more achievable because attaining a Ph.D. is no walk in the park either, but it sure is a better bet, statistically speaking, than putting all of your eggs in the "I hope to become an Olympian" basket. It certainly is sad to see many athletes who strive to make an Olympic Team and then when they fall short they have nothing except the fact that they tried. It seems as if no one ever explained to the them that the likelihood of them becoming an Olympian is super super slim.

Therefore, I urge and even implore many of the clients that I coach to attend school. When its all said and done, being an Olympian is great, but being an Olympian with a Ph.D. is better. And if you don't get the Olympian title, by all means please make sure that you go to school. It's a better bet than saying, "I want to win a Gold Medal in the Olympics." I'm not saying that you should dream big. What I'm saying is that you should dream big and also live realistically.

==============
Thank you
==============

As with many of my emails or blog posts, this one probably isn't going to be politically correct, but, I gotta do what I gotta do....

I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for providing me with opportunity to achieve greatness in spite of the times when I definitely didn't deserve it. I appreciate Him for allowing me to be when I couldn't understand who I really was. I also appreciate him positioning people in my life who were able to help me, push me, inspire me, and propel me towards each goal that I have had the opportunity to pursue and attain. I write this email in awe of Him and humbled by His grace and mercy.

I would also like to thank my wife, Dr. Traci Ferguson, whose loving care and tenderness allowed me to pursue a goal which put more than somewhat of a strain on the family. I appreciate the times when she picked up my slack in terms of my familial responsibilities because she recognized my educational pursuit as an investment and something that would provide a household standard of excellence for our son, Rufus Alexander Ferguson.

I would also like to thank my parents, Rufus and Stephanie Ferguson for their untiring love, unwavering support and their many nights of fasting and praying.

I want to also thank my son's Godfather and my brother from another mother, Dr. G. Stewart. He is beyond inspiring,beyond exemplary and THE TRUE definition of the word FRIEND. His place in my life cannot be underestimated, reduced or disrespected. He is...... (I don't even have to finish the sentence because that's how solid my main man G.is. He just is....)

I would also like to thank so many of you that have prayed for me, supported my business endeavors and even those who have hated on me for no reason at all. I'm in the process of trying to acquire more haters because that is one of the true measuring rods of success. :-)

Take care and thank you so much. I will post pictures of my graduation in the near future on my facebook page. If you are not on Facebook, you need to get on there IMMEDIATELY. I am listed under "Rhadi Ferguson". Send me a friend request and I'll take care of you. Or you can just follow me at http://www.twitter.com/rhadi and I will keep you up to date on what's going on in the life of the Ferguson's.

Thanks again,
Rhadi Ferguson, Ph.D.
2004 Olympian
4-Time National Judo Champion
BJJ Black Belt
http://www.rhadiferguson.com
http://www.MoroteGari.com

P.S. After my I graduate on the 13th of March I am going to have a HUGE sale on a new judo product that you are going to absolutely love. It will be absolutely AMAZING.

Check Out Lil Rufus Training With Daddy

2009-01-12T13:56:00.001-05:00

Nice Drop Seoinage.

http://www.TheJudoCrusader.com

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

==============
Happy New Year
==============

Surely you know that many people didn’t make it through 2008. If you are reading this you should count it as a blessing to be here. Some were not as fortunate.

What does this mean?

Does it mean you are lucky?

Well, in my opinion, it means that you are here for a reason and that you still have some work to do on this earth.

It is my suggestion that you find out what that noble, honorable and good thing is and the things which are subsets of that and get to work on it.

Please take this time to really look at your life and what it is that you want from it.

Don’t make any New Year’s Resolutions, just do the right thing as often as you can.

If you are little bit heavier than you would like to be, please make quality decisions about your life and your health and stop making excuses.

I believe that the cartoon below says it all:

================
On Another Note
================

If you see something that needs to be done, don’t wait for someone to ask you to do it…. Just do it.

If you see a piece of paper on the ground, pick it up as if it were money and put it in the garbage can as if the garbage can was a bank.

If there’s a light on that is not in use… turn it off.

If there is a way that you can help someone, try to help them.

And in the converse, if you can pay for a service, then do the honorable thing and pay for it. Don’t try to ask for handouts all the time.

And don’t complain about how much something costs. If it costs too much for you THEN ITS NOT FOR YOU. My pastor told me that. If it was meant for you to have it, you’d have it.

When you are going through something difficult, smile. You’ll be surprised how it will change your outlook of the situation. And even if it doesn’t, you may just inspire someone else.

And most of all – don’t forget to Love. Love those around you, love those who are not around you and love the people who you are glad aren’t around you.

Take care and have a blessed and prosperous 2009.

If you have any questions about the New Year or if you are interested in giving your input before my next upcoming tele-seminar on how to make 2009 Your best year ever, then please visit http://www.AskRhadi.com and submit your questions or input.

Happy New Year,

Rhadi Ferguson

Christmas at the Fergusons

2008-12-30T10:25:00.003-05:00

Greetings:

I know many of you like to take a "peek" inside of my home so here you go.
Check out the video....

"Christmas at the Fergusons"

You will laugh some and be surprised that we are pretty traditional in our approach to Christmas.

So here you go

Take care and have a Great New Year.

Rhadi Ferguson
http://www.RhadiAndTraci.com

She asked, “What Happened to the Coloreds?”

2008-11-06T13:49:00.004-05:00

=============
Introduction
=============

It’s pretty difficult for me to express the great joy and gratitude that I feel concerning Barack Obama's win.

The gratitude that I have is for individuals like my parents, Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Kwame Toure, Louis Farrakhan, Al Sharton, Jesse Jackson, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, and countless others who were visible and some who weren't. Upon the backs of these individuals Obama was able to become President of the United States of America.

I can honestly say that a vote for Obama was not a vote for democrats, nor a vote for your particular platform; it was a vote for the healing of America. Believe it or not, one of the biggest problems that we have in this country is racism. It rears its ugly head at the best of times and at the worst of times. And it began as a historical part of the foundation of our country. Internationally it is one of the sour spots about the United States. Fortunately, on the 4th of November we were able to take a step in the right direction in order to heal ourselves. I can only imagine what would have taken place if McCain would have won. I truly think that it would have set race relations back about 50 years in this country and the rioting would have been sad and terrible.

==========
A Community
Organizer
==========

I can remember at one time when Sarah Palin and the Republican Party were making fun of Barack Obama for being a community organizer. Well, I can tell you this. That is exactly what Obama did in his campaign. He organized communities on a National level.

I never got involved in any campaign and really wasn't doing anything in this one until about 2 to 3 months ago when my friend and mentor Winston Williams called me up and asked me, "What have you done for the Obama campaign?"

I replied, "Nothing."

And he said, "And you think that's okay? Bro. you graduated from Howard University and you can read and write and vote because people made a sacrifice for you and were willing to die and they didn't even know you. They died before you even existed in order to improve your existence. You owe them."

I am definitely paraphrasing our conversation. But I am here to tell you that I took about a 15 minute tongue lashing for which I had NO REPLY. I immediately got of the phone and did the thing that all good husbands do. I immediately started verbally chastising my wife and asking her, "What have YOU done for the Obama campaign?" I did this right after I gave an online donation so that I could have the 1-up on her because I figured if I was feeling bad, that I shouldn't be alone. :-)

All joking aside; though Traci and I got active immediately and we made sure to get our son Rufus involved in the process.

We attended voter registration drives, debate watching parties, rallies, we did community canvassing (knocking on doors), held up signs on the street and drove people to the polls to vote.

When Barack Obama won, I felt empowered. I felt like I had accomplished something great. I can remember what Winston said when he told me, "What are you going to say when your son asks you about what you did during this time history. Are you going to say that you didn't do anything except for vote? That is EMBARRASSING!"

And he was right. That would be embarrassing.

I was so glad to get my family involved in campaigning for Obama that I couldn't even tell you how it makes me feel. http://tinyurl.com/6yd9kz

==============
Elizabeth Straight
==============

One of the highlights of my campaigning and canvassing experiences was Elizabeth Straight.

Elizabeth Straight is 92 years old and she is originally from Long Island, New York. Her New York accent still fights its way through her southern experiences so that you know her roots.

She moves very slow and deliberate, but she's very sharp. She has a very bad case of arthritis and she has some Katherine Hepburn type of movements in her senior age (her head shakes from side to side quite a bit). She is very talkative. I think it’s because she doesn't have anyone around her all day and she really wants some help with some things around the house.

Well, here's my story.

While canvassing in a trailer park community, I knocked on the door of this one trailer. And low and behold Elizabeth comes to the door. She is somewhat apprehensive, but I guess she reasons in her mind, "Really, what in the hell can I do." And then it seems like she relaxes, especially after I show her the flyers that I have in hand.

I said, "Good afternoon ma'am, my name is Rhadi Ferguson. Have you voted today?"

She said, "No. These two colored gals were supposed to take me but they couldn't so I didn't go. I don't have a way to get to the polls."

I said, "Ma'am I can take you to the polls if you don't have a ride. Do you have your ID and voter's registration?"

Elizabeth replied, "Yes."

I said, "Okay, I'm going to get my car and drive it around. I'll be right back."

Now Elizabeth walk with the aid of a walker and it took about 2 to 3 minutes to get her from the steps of her home to the door of my car. I had to be super careful because I did not want her to fall at all.

After getting her to the car, I had to help her sit down and then physically put both of her legs in the car by taking hold of each leg and guiding it slowly into the car one at a time.

I then work my way to the driver's side after wiping my brow from building up a good quality lather of perspiration.

Then we headed to the polls.

But wait.

I asked Elizabeth, "May I see your ID and voter's registration."

She showed it to me and it read republican.

No problem. I'm doing my civic duty.

Elizabeth said, "I'm a republican but I'm voting for Obama today. I'm just tired of all this and I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be able to vote for a colored man for president."

And she gave the cutest smile even though some of her "pearly whites" weren't so pearly and some of them had retired from years of long service.

When we arrived to the polls, the people were helpful and they were kind of taken aback. Because I clearly didn't look like I was a medical professional who was helping her and we definitely didn't look related.

At the polls one lady asked Elizabeth, "Is this young man with you?"

She smiled and said, "Yes."

During our conversation to the polls, I found out that Elizabeth had not eaten all day because she was waiting for the "colored gals" to take her to the polls and she said that if she ate she would have to use the restroom right away and that she needs to be at home for that.

So while she was going into vote and I was parking before meeting her inside, I called my wife and let her know that I had a friend coming over for dinner :-)

So Elizabeth finished voting and I got her back into the car and we headed to my house and that is when she asked......

"What happened to all of the coloreds? They used to be so nice. Now all I see on television is shooting and killing and robbing. When I was growing up we used to walk by a colored neighborhood everyday and they were so nice. What happened?"

Now, here's one of those situations that you really didn't plan for when you woke up in the morning.

I replied, "Elizabeth, the colored, ahem, I mean African Americans are good quality people. Most of them are like me to be honest with you. It's just that the ones that you see on the news are the ones that they want to show you. My wife is a doctor and a great mother and she hasn't been on the news yet. We went to great schools, we pay our bills on time, we help out people in the community, we donate money time and services, but there are no reporters following us around about that. That's just how it goes. The media is trying to create an 'angry black man' image that they want you to feed into and also they want you to be scared of people like me."

Then the truth came out like she was given some truth serum...

She said, "To be honest with you. I was scared when you came up to my door because I just don't know what to expect from the coloreds, but you are a nice colored man and the two colored gals who help me out are nice too."

Well we finally arrived at my home and Elizabeth was happy to meet my wife and my son. My son Rufus gave her a big hug and she just smiled. I asked her if she liked fish and she put both of her hands together and said, "I just love fish. We used to go fishing all of the time when I was a little kid.......... " (Believe me when I tell you that the story was long, but I'm glad that she had someone to tell it to.)

After she finished eating, she complemented my wife on her cooking. We took a picture and talked some and then Traci, Rufus and I took her back home.

>>>> http://tinyurl.com/6j4oth <<<<< closing ="="="="="="="="="="="="="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">

RhadiFerguson
*** GOOGLE ME!! ***
2004 Olympian
4X National Judo Champion
World Class Strength Coach
http://www.Rhadi.com
http://www.TheStrengthAndConditioningKing.com
http://www.Rhadi.tv
http://www.CoachFerguson.com
http://www.TheTotalBodyWorkout.com
http://www.TheBodyWeightWorkout.com
http://www.MaximumDBTraining.com
http://www.BeyondTheRings.com

I Just Can't Write About Obama Right Now... :-)

2008-11-05T11:47:00.002-05:00

http://tinyurl.com/6j4oth

This is the best that I can do.

If I write anything about Obama or the election it d@mn near drives me to tears.

I will try to write something later on, but as of right now I just cannot.

I'm so happy and overjoyed that I'm speechless.

Take care.

Rhadi Ferguson
2004 Olympian
4-Time National Judo Champion
World Class Strength Coach
http://www.rhadi.com
http://www.AskRhadi.com

Here’s How To Celebrate Halloween

2008-11-03T09:52:00.002-05:00

===========
Introduction
===========

First of all I want to let you know that I’m very sad today.

Today is Halloween and although my family and I don’t do the Halloween thing, we did buy an astronaut outfit for Rufus and he’s going to wear it to the church tonight as they are having something at the church for the kids.

What makes me feel so bad is that I’m in Colorado Springs at the International Strength Training Conference and I’m missing the first time that my son is getting dressed up and putting in his little outfit.

My wife said that she put it on him yesterday so that he could try it on and he absolutely loved it. As a matter of fact, he cried his freakin’ eyeballs out when he had to take it off. Traci told me that she’s probably gonna have to let him sleep in the outfit this evening because he doesn’t want to take it off when he puts it on.

The unfortunate part is that because I travel a lot, I miss some of the “first times” with my son. It bothers me and it hurts but it is what it is. I not the only one that feels like this and I really try to “love up” the lil’ guy when I’m at home because I know a time is coming when I am going to have to leave my home again.

==============
Here’s How To
Celebrate Halloween
Or what my family
Calls “Pumpkin Day”
==============

Because of my passion for my profession and my family I can pretty much give you the best advice of how to spend “Pumpkin Day”.

SPEND IT WITH YOUR FAMILY.

That’s right.

If you don’t have children, find one of your relatives that do have kids and go spend some time with them. Family time is important.

I can tell you right now that there is no “rewind” button on my watch. I can’t nor can you get any of the time back after it moves forward.

This is another reason why I’m absolutely urging you to make some quality decisions today as well as in November and December when it comes to your food choices and your decisions about exercise.

=============
Here’s What
We’re doing
=============

Traci and I are training for another 1/2 Marathon in December and a full marathon in early 2009. We will probably do 2 half marathons this year. For one of them we are going to walk with Rufus in the stroller so that he can have his first ½ marathon experience. It will be fun and I truly believe that it will set the tone for the health and wellness directive of the family for 2009. In 2008 we did an excellent job in terms of our health and wellness.

Here’s what you can do.

You can start getting on a plan for success today.

At this location >>> http://tinyurl.com/pumpkinday you can access some great tools for you and/or your family to start getting in great shape.

If you are a beginner at exercise and you want a nice and easy program in order to get your started, I would recommend the following:

1. The BackYard Workout & 2. Maximum DB Training.

These are excellent places for the beginner exerciser to start.

If you are a little bit more advance and are looking to really get a great total body conditioning program in place, I would highly recommend The Total Body Workout.

And if you are having a small problem with keeping everything together and you need some “inspiration” to keep you going then Chump Repellent is what you need.

Whatever the case, start moving towards dropping “one or two” not adding and extra “one or two” as we get deep into the holiday season.

Ok?

>>> http://tinyurl.com/pumpkinday <<<

===========
Closing
===========

Take care and have a super fantastic day. If you want to catch up with what I’m doing then make sure you check me out and “FOLLOW ME” on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/rhadi

Be healthy and be safe,

Rhadi Ferguson
*** GOOGLE ME!! ***
2004 Olympian 4X
National Judo Champion
World Class Strength Coach

P.S. 2004 Olympian Rhadi Ferguson and 2008 & 2004 Olympian Taraje Williams-Murray (http://www.Taraje.com) are coming New Jersey in November

Taraje and I are going to show you some remarkable things that you can utilize immediately to increase your submission rate and your throwing percentage.

I’m truly looking forward to seeing many of you soon.

The Seminar in New Jersey is on the 9th of November
Only 4 Spots Left For The New Jersey Seminar
>>>> http://www.rhadi.com/Nov9Seminar/

The Seminar in New York is SOLD OUT!
THE NEW YORK SEMINAR IS CLOSED
>>>> http://www.rhadi.com/Nov8Seminar/

Taraje and I will see you soon. If you have any questions about the seminar please don’t hesitate to email me at info@rhadi.com

Howard University Homecoming 2008

2008-10-27T09:57:00.012-04:00

For those of you that don't know.... I attended Howard University TWICE!
From 1992-1997 and then I returned from 2000-2002 to complete my Masters Degree. I absolutely love Howard University and cherish my Howard Experience.

The great thing about Howard University is that you don't necessarily have to attend Howard University in order to have a "Howard Experience". My wife, Traci Ferguson, was a matriculant Georgetown University, but she had some great Howard Experiences. So much so that during Howard University Homecoming people ask her when she went to Howard. The crazy thing is that she never went to Howard, she just spent a good deal of time at Howard.

I try to bring people to Howard University's Homecoming every year. Some people come, some don't. This year I wanted my friend, former client and 2004 Olympic Teammate Taraje Williams-Murray to come to Homecoming this year.

Taraje could never understand why I made such a big deal about Howard's Homecoming. During one year when he was competing at the United States Judo Open, Howard's Homecoming fell on that same weekend. He asked me if I was going to the US Open. I replied, "Nope, I'm going to Homecoming." It wasn't until Homecoming weekend this year that he told me how pissed off he was about that but admitted that he could understand why I didn't attend.

As a matter of fact, I've place in a couple of US Open's but I only won one US Open. And I can pretty much tell you why. I was soooo pissed off because in 2001, the US Open fell on the the same weekend as Howard University's Homecoming!! I can remember packing my bags and telling myself that everybody was going to pay for me missing my Homecoming celebration. I went to that tournament and lawnmowered through the competition.

Well, that was then.....

After convincing Taraje to come to Homecoming, my wife and I got his train ticket to come in town so that he could attend. We felt that this experience is one that every young African American should have at one time in their life and that it was our duty to make sure that Taraje could attend and be comfortable.

Taraje was really worried because he didn't have any money and he didn't understand how things work. I told Taraje that he would have the time of his life and not have to spend one dime. It took some convincing but he finally believed me.

We started off the week on Wednesday by doing a clinic in Fredricksburg, Virginia at Sensei Chuck Wall's school. Then we went to the Marine Base in Quantico, Virginia all day Thursday which was a great experience where we were able to share some of our experiences and also able to get a better understanding of the life of a soldier in the Marines.

Thursday night we partied like rock stars. It was a good time with good friends and good people. We laughed all night long and ended up at the International House of Pancakes and dove into some egg white omelettes around 6am. Taraje and I got back to my parents house around 8:00am and we had to be up at 10:00 to get to "the yard" at Howard for Yardfest before 11:30.

The schedule was ridiculous. We had to sleep for less than 3 hours during the whole time.

On Friday, my wife came in town and she and I hit the alumni party and we two-stepped the night away. I sent Taraje with some of my younger and more energetic fraternity brothers so that he could have the twenty-something experience, which I am NO LONGER INTERESTED IN. Taraje had the time of his life.

I heard him say on SEVERAL occasions that he had never seen this many beautiful and successful African American females all in one place. He said that the experience was eye-opening and jaw dropping. If nothing else he mentioned that this should make all young black men really strive for excellence in life and academically. He said, seeing all of these affluent black folks really lets me know that there is hope. I guess sometimes its easier to "be it" if you can "see it."

With that being said, I also wanted to let Taraje know what was and is available out there. Many people settle for a mate or a companion because they don't think that what they are looking for is available. But the problem is that they are searching for bass in a pond stocked with catfish. If you want bass, then you need to take your @ss where there are BASS!! :-) Ya dig?

So, Friday night was good for the wife and I and it was great for Taraje (from what I heard). After a long night I had to leave the house and scoop Taraje from DC, he was having breakfast with one of my frat brothers and then we arrived at Howard University bright and early at 8am to prepare for the Homecoming Parade (as you can see, we got absolutely NO SLEEP, but it was all good.)

On Saturday, Taraje and I had the opportunity to serve as Marshals in the Homecoming Parade. This was my 4th Homecoming Parade as a Marshal and I love it each and every time. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it again but I absolutely love seeing the smiles on the faces of the children and being an ambassador for my school, Howard University.

Sidebar: I have to give a biggup to Keith Miles in the Office of the Provost at Howard University for making each Howard University Parade better and better each and every year.

Okay, now back to the story.... Saturday was cool I got the chance to reconnect with 2008 Olympic Bronze Medalist David Oliver who is also a Howard Alum and was in school at Howard when I made the Olympic Team in 2004 and I met Lance Gross who was also running track at Howard with David when I made the team. I remember Lance being in all of the fashion shows at Howard. Now he is on the hit television show Tyler Perry's "House of Payne".

We also had the conversation of a lifetime with Terrence Howard on the topic of persevering and why quitting is not an option as an African American male based upon the fact that there are millions of people behind you who you may or may not be able to see who are COUNTING on you to be excellent in your endeavors so that they may have an opportunity. It was thought provoking, engaging and genuine. He didn't rush, he just took his time and talked to Taraje and I about life. It was awe-inspiring.

What else happened?

- Well of course P. Diddy was there again.

- I did an interview with ESPN and Howard University Television

- Taraje's who worldview was change in 72 hours

- Lord willing, I will be back next year.

Howard University Homecoming 2008. If you don't know, now you know. (please understand that this is the G rated version)

Also check out http://www.Taraje.com

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson
2004 Olympian
4-Time National Judo Champion

Training, Training and More Training

2008-09-12T23:49:00.003-04:00

I'm pretty pooped today. I was training UFC Fighter Brandon Vera all morning and have been prepping him for his fight against Keith Jardine. It has been, as usual, very fun; very taxing; super frustrating, really enlightening, surprisingly educational and downright entertaining.

Brandon Vera is such a cool dude and so is his wife. I used to live with Brandon at the Olympic Training Center when I was there from 1998 to 2000. He was a really good greco roman wrestler. Brandon is now one of the top fighters in the world in Mixed Martials arts. It's crazy to watch how he's developed over the years.

As far as the title of the post is concerned........ Wow! I must say that I never thought that I would say that I need a break, but that is exactly what I need. After coaching and/or having coached or worked in the capacity of a consultant for 9 athletes that compete in 3 different Olympic Trials, I must say that I am pooped.

I need a lil' break.

Write now I'm working on Chapert 5 of my dissertation and am looking forward to handing my paper in to my advisor in about 2 more weeks. I'm excited about being done.

That's all I have for right now, I'm going to sleep!!!!!

Take care.

Rhadi Ferguson
2004 Olympian
4-time National Judo Champion
http://www.Rhadi.com

How To Stick to the plan

2008-03-31T14:16:00.001-04:00

==============
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

Here's something you just can't schedule

2008-03-24T13:45:00.000-04:00

=============
Introduction
=============

I was on a coaching call on Saturday morning when another call came through on my cell phone. It was the third time that this call had come through and I figured it was important, so I answered.

I said, "Cuz, be quick, I'm on a coaching call."

He said, "Bro. you need to get down here. Uncle Jimmy died this morning at 3am."

I said, "Stop lying."

He said, "No man, I'm serious."

Well, there I was on the call with 17 more minutes to go. After the call, I got dressed, told my wife to get Rufus ready and when I said that she said, "We're already ready."

Traci had Rufus, dressed and ready to go and they were sitting in the living room, waiting on me.

So we hopped in the car and drove down to Miami.... This is where my story begins.

====================
One 1/2 Marathon a Month
====================

At the begining of the year, I was so motivated after reading The Ultramarathon Man that I pledged to do a 1/2 marathon a month. Well, as the Lord would have it, my uncle's funeral is this weekend - the same exact weekend where I was supposed to be in Atlanta to do the Atlanta ING 1/2 Marathon.

My aunt who I've help go from 234 lbs. to now, 205lbs. was supposed to do her first 1/2 this weekend and my mother was too.

But now we all have hit a major roadblock.

I really didn't know what to do. My father was supposed to do his 2nd 1/2, my aunt and mother were supposed to do their first, and I was supposed to do my 1/2 for the month.

So we had to make an adjustment.

Here's what I proposed....

==================
We'll do the 1/2 anyway
We'll just do it in Boca
==================

Even though the race won't be official, we are still going to do that 1/2 marathon this weekend.
We're going to do it on Sunday and we're all going to do it together. That's right. We're going to all "stick to our guns" and still do the 1/2 marathon.

The lesson here is to understand that life happens and sometimes things are the way that you want them to be, but that doesn't mean that they aren't the way that they are supposed to be.

I really had to look at the most important thing about doing the 1/2 marathon.

Was is really about going to Atlanta? or Was is about helping my mother and aunt complete a great accomplishments in their lives while watching my father continue on his quest for better health?
(by the way, my father is 239 pounds and down from 258! - WAY TO GO POP!!)

The key, without a doubt was for the whole family to be together. With that being said, I had to come to the realization that the most important thing was for all of us to be together.

So, on Sunday... my mom, my aunt Faustina, my wife, my dad and myself will perform 13.1 miles and complete a non-official, but official 1/2 marathon and we will capture it on video and share it with you next week.

==================
What's new with Rhadi?
==================

- This morning I just had a meeting with Former World Boxing Champion Jermaine Taylor's personal chef. He will begin cooking my meals so that I can test out his services when some of my clients come down to Florida to train. I also will utilize him as I prepare for the 31 mile race (Ultramarathon) on the 18th of May. His name is Stu and he's a HUGE Mixed Martial Arts fan and really loved to sit down and talk MMA and how he can help some of my clients in the future.

I'm also in the process of developing a new piece of training equipment for Judo and Brazilian Jiujitsu players that is going to be absolutely dynamite. I'm doing this in conjunction with some heavy hitters in grappling and judo marketplace.
Also Jimmy Pedro, 4-Time Olympian and 1999 World Judo Champion is getting ready to release his newly improved DVD package Grip Like A World Champion DVD next month in April. It is absolutely superb!

=========
Closing
=========

This weekend is going to be a happy one and a sad one. My aunt Alice and my Uncle Jimmy were together for 57 years. I can remember on several occasions sitting down with Uncle Jimmy and my cousins and laughing on Sundays after church. It felt weird this past weekend being at the house without him there. The funeral is going to be gut wrenching. But on the same token, I will be able to see my family and many loved ones that I haven't seen in a while and I'll be able to see my parents again as they spend time with their grandson. So with a smile on my face and a heavy heart I can admit that the experience is going to be, at its best - bittersweet.

The one thing that I know is this..... the food is plentiful and its good, but with that - so must the exercise.

So this morning I got my butt up and did 45 minutes of cardio, met with the chef, then I stretched and did 10 sets of 20 repetitions of reclined rope pulls.

The key is to make sure you get it in. There's nothing wrong with eating, but there is something wrong with not exercising.

Make sure you "get it in" --> http://www.TheTotalBodyWorkout.com

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson
2004 Olympian

Did you do something outstanding today?

2008-03-24T13:43:00.000-04:00

=============
Introduction
=============

I had an opportunity to listen to Obama's speech on race yesterday and I'd like to tell you this.

I'm not here to talk about race, about politics, about Obama, Hillary, Rev. Wright or anything else, what I do want to tell you is how it made me feel.

His speech made me feel like:

I have to do more as a parent to ensure that my son understands that every human being no matter of race, color or creed needs to be loved and respected. My wife and I do that now, but more often than not many of us live and conduct most of our daily experiences in a homogenous society and it is important to get more perspective about the global community.
I need to travel more with my family. I've had the opportunity to see a great deal of the world as a world class athlete, so my view of things isn't myopic, it is truly global. I need to travel with my wife and son so that we can all experience all that the world has to offer. I was reading the book 4-hour Work Week, by Tim Ferris and he mentioned the importance of such an education.
I need to volunteer more. I've been volunteering, especially in my church and doing fr-ee teleseminars, but I see that I need to do more. Its my job to lift as I climb. People's prejudices can only be changed via a new perspective and positive experience. I truly have to be the change that I would like to see in the world.
I must embody the quote of Mother Theresa when she said something along the lines that the important thing is that when people leave your presence that they leave being better than when they came.

I just thought I'd share those things. As I said before, this isn't a pro-this guy or pro-that gal type of email. This is a "we're all in this thing together" email.

And I just wanted to let you know that hatred is for Chumps, racism is for Chumps and the real winners in life aren't the ones wearing medals around their neck but the ones making a difference in the lives of others everyday.

============
Closing
============

This is why I do what I do and this is why I'm writing to you.

Today, make someone's day better than it was yesterday.

Take care.

Much love and respect,

Rhadi Ferguson
2004 Olympian
http://www.ChumpRepellent.com

What A Weekend (Another 1/2 Marathon - that makes 3)

2008-02-18T20:39:00.002-05:00

=========
Introduction
=========

What a weekend!!

On Saturday night I attended the Showtime Elite XC event and watched my cousin (very distant cousin), Kimbo Slice beat the snot outta Tank Abbot.

It was a great event and the dude looked larger than life when he came out of the tunnel. All I could do is laugh and smile.

He looked very very sharp in his fight and he eliminated TankAbbott in seconds as I thought he would.

Kimbo and I finally had the chance to meet and talk afterthe fight. I made my way into the ring and we talkedand we rapped again at the post-fight media wrap up.

We communicated a couple of times over the phoneand on myspace, but we never met until this weekend. It was good seeing him. We live lessthan 10 miles from each other in south florida. I'm looking forward to training with him and rolling on themat in the near future. I truly believe this dude is goingto be a huge superstar in MMA. He has the onething that a lot of the fighters today are missing and theone thing that I talk about all the time -- DISCIPLINE.

He is one disciplined dude when it comes to training.

He reminds me of somebody else I know.... Hmmmmmm :-)

So after the fight I went to Denny's to eat around 2 am in themorning. I had to get some pancakes. I was sitting thereeating with one of my other cousins, Greg, and I wastelling him how tired I was. I practiced earlier that morningwith a Greco Roman wrestler who is getting ready for his National Championships and I had been ripping and running all day.
I went home, showered, did a couple of errands and then headed down to Miami for the fights. At 2:40am I was walking out of Denny's after throwing down a Grand Slam and I was tired as #@$%!!!

I jumped in my car and headed back to Boca Raton.I arrived home at 4:00am. Just in enough time to........

=====================
I Had To Be At The
At 6 am
=====================

I got home just in enough time to take a quick"wake-up" shower, brush my teeth, pack my pouch with GU gels, vaseline my feet down, and put on my running clothes to head out the door with my wife to run the Fort Lauderdale A1A 1/2 Marathon.

I got in the door at 4am and we left promptly at 4:45.We finally parked our car around 5:20am. I went to use the restroom (which is a feat and a half becauseof the long lines at the port-a-potties) and I headed to the starting line with 3 minutes to spare.

At 6am the gun went off and my legs felt like2 slabs of concrete. Not to mention the fact that Ihadn't slept a wink! :-(

=========
At Mile 4
=========

Because of poor planning and a time crunch, I didn't have timeto pack my CamelPak which is a great running tool and it allowsyou to drink as you run so you don't have to stop at the wateringstations, so I had to stop to hydrate while my wife kept running.

This means I had to constantly catch up to her which was cool.Until the "Grand Slam" that I had started "slamming" me in a Grand way. I had to stop and get rid of some of the Grand Slam.
This put me wayyyyyyy back and I had to run at a 7:30 minutepace to catch up to my wife again. That sucked!!

Especially since, I hadn't run not one step since my marathon inNovember.
That's right not one. I have been walking, but I haven't beenrunning. And I hurt my groin after judo practice last month so I've been walking, stretching and rehabbing.

But I figured, "What the hell, after a full marathon, a 1/2 isa piece of cake!"
And to be honest with you - it really is.

===================
I'm Not Going To Break
Any Records
====================
For some of you that don't know, my father completed hisfirst 1/2 marathon in January.
He walked the whole way and I walked with him.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gXK0FGLoSZY

Now my father is going to do his second 1/2 marathonin Atlanta, along with...... (drum roll please).....

MY MOTHER AND MY AUNT!!

That's right, the whole family is getting involved.

My aunt started training with me in January and she has lost 21 poun-ds and feels spectacular. She looks like a different person and she feels great.

I told her and my mother that we're not goingout to break any records in the 1/2 marathon,we're going out to complete an honorable task,to stay in shape and to kickstart our whole family on a campaign for healthy living.

==================
That's about it...
==================

I know today's post was all over the place, but I'm just so doggone excited about my life and thethings that are going on in it.

I'm blessed to have a wonderful family, greatfriends and people like you who are concernedabout living healthy, staying healthy and changingthe fabric of our society.

=================
Conclusion
=================

I’m so happy that so many of you have decided to take meup on my gratuitious offer and grab a hold of The TotalBody Workout for only $1.00 –> http://www.TheTotalBodyWorkout.com
It is my desire that you have the tools that you will need to succeed and that you do succeed.

Take care and thanks again for your support.

Sincerely and Humbly,
Rhadi Ferguson
2004 Olympian
Fitness Professional
www.AskRhadi.com
www.Rhadi.com
www.TheTotalBodyWorkout.com
www.TheBodyWeightWorkout.com

My Dad Finished His First Half Marathon

2008-01-29T23:54:00.000-05:00

==============
Introduction
==============

I am pleased to announce that on Jan. 27, 2008 my father completed his first half marathon!

He walked the whole way and my wife and I walked with him. I was superimpressed. And not with his time either, but with his resolve.

For those of you who do not know, my father had a medical conditionlast year which brought him face to face with his own mortality. I saw this as an opportunity to step in and do what it is that I do. I actually had to coach my father through the 1/2 marathon trainingprocess. What was so crazy was that 2 years ago my father would havenever even thought about nor considered completed or even doing a 1/2 marathon.

Now my father has on his mind that he is going to complete at least 3 in 2008. He has also lost 15 pounds right away and has a newfound vigor for life. My wife also completed her 1/2 marathon on the 27th as well.

=================
The Moment Of Clarity
From My Coach
=================

For those of you who don't know, I completed my first 1/2 marathonand full marathon in November of 2007 and my marathon coach Winston Williams helped me along the way.

So I also ask him to coach my father in his journey. As usualhe provided some great advice but his best advice was for me when he asked me, "So what are your plans for the race?"
Although I'm coming off of a pulled groined, the athlete in me said, "I'm going to coolout and run 2 hours and30 minutes or something like that."

Coach Williams replied, "Rhadi, I think that you're missingout on a major opportunity here. Knowing what you know about your father's situation and where he came from to where he is now, my recommendation is that you walkwith your father every step of the way. You will be glad that you did. It will be a lasting moment that you will be able to cherish for a lifetime."
I told him that was an excellent piece of advice.

I can't tell you how good it felt to run across the finish line with my father, my wife, my cousin and I joining hands. It was wonderful. My father cried, my cousin cried and my wife and I had huge smiles across our faces.

===============
You Have A Job To Do
===============

Right now I'm coaching one of my family members to better health and she has also los-t some weight.

She has lost 12 pounds in 3 weeks and is now in the process of getting ready to start training to complete her first 1/2 marathon in 12 weeks.

I'm really looking forward to helping my family membersget healthy. If you are a fitness professionl - YOU MUST find a way to get your family members to lead healthy lives.

If you are the leader in your home, YOU MUST find a way to get the people in your home to live and lead healthier lives. If you are not in the shape that you want to be -YOU MUST find a way to get yourself in better shape.

You have a job to do. Your job is similar to the advice that they provide you on the airplane before "take-off". The stewartess says, "In thecase of a loss of oxygen, secure the mask overyourself first and then help your child."

Well, this is the same thing. You must getyourself in shape first and then help yourfamily. If you do this, your loved ones willbe around longer and they will be a lot stronger.

==============
Conclusion
==============

I was so proud of my father, my wife and my cousinthis weekend. My wife has already signed up to do another 1/2 marathon with me in February. It was and is my desire to do a 1/2 marathon a month in 2008 and through that investment, I am able to invest in the lives of others. I understand that I must securethe mask over myself first and then I'll be able to help others.

If you would like some help working outat home and getting in some great shapeyou can do so by going here

--> http://www.thebodyweightworkout.com/ <--

If you are interested in completing a 1/2 marathon or want for one of your family members to do so, please go here

--> http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/walk.htm <--

But remember, strength training is still necessary. And you must get that in too.

--> http://www.thebodyweightworkout.com/ <--

So take care and I wish you the best.

Take care, Rhadi Ferguson (aka "The Strength and Conditioning King")http://www.thestrengthandconditioningking.com/
http://www.askrhadi.com/
http://www.rhadi.com/

Here's How To Make 2008 Great!!

2007-12-21T15:38:00.000-05:00

=============
Introduction
=============

No More Empty Promises

December 31st is almost here. Champagne, parties, fireworks, the countdown to the New Year – and to top it all off, a special kiss at the stroke of midnight – no mistletoe needed! Across the country, there’s an undercurrent of hope and motivation – a chance for a fresh start.

And so, each and every year we make (and break) New Year’s Resolutions by the millions!

En masse, we jump out and make promises that we have EVERY intention of fulfilling. But usually, by the time March has rolled around, we’re right back where we started, with our empty promises mocking us with hollow glee.

The secret is finding a way to back those intentions up with discipline, while keeping things practical enough to actually become a habit.

If you’re sick and tired of making empty promises, here’s my prescription for success…

FOR THE PERPETUAL PROCRASTINATOR

If you’re one of those guys (or gals) that has let your good intention turn into a spare tire, there are five simple ways you can make ’08 a year of the hard, hot body you’ve been dreaming about.

Numero Uno #1 Quit making excuses!

Forget waiting to finance a home gym. Don’t even wait until you can hit the gym. Work now with what you already have. No dumbbells? No problem. Fill up water bottles or dig through the pantry for a few 16 oz. cans. Take the initiative and make this the first step toward toned and tightened arms!

Look, if you don't have any space, no equipment and a little bit of time, then I've got THE BEST workout for you. And best of all, it's FREE. Just get it right HERE.

Number Two #2 Make An Appointment

Make an appointment. Right now, pull out your calendar or Palm Pilot and schedule 30 minutes or 1 hour sessions throughout available slots in your schedule. Pen it in and then follow through!

If you are having problems with commitment, then I’ve got EXACTLY what it is that you need. You need a good dose of Chump Repellent, to keep you Inner Chump at bay so you can be the Champ that you want to be. You can get that right here

Number Three #3 Do It Now, The Earlier The Better!

The earlier the better… If you want to see this year’s resolution come true, work out in the morning. Not only are you better rested in the morning, but working out first thing will energize you throughout the day and jumpstart your metabolism. Better yet, the excuse “It was a killer day at the office,” or “I’ll be later for dinner” won’t be able to stand between you and your workout.

And if you’re having a problem about going to the gym, then don’t worry about it. I’ll meet you at your house in my FREE DVD Working Out With Rhadi: The Bodyweight Workout.

Number Four #4 Recruit Someone To Help You

Buddy up! Recruit a friend to be your workout partner. There IS strength in numbers. Not only will you hold each other accountable, but you’ll also encourage and motivate each other along the way. As an added plus, you’ll likely find that having someone there to BS with can really make the time fly!

Don’t have a workout partner in mind?

I’m available 24 hours and 7 days a week.

Just invite me over.

If you need to start things off a little bit slow because you haven’t been working out for a while and want to progress on your own time, then I’ve got exactly what you need in The Backyard Workout.

Number Five #5 Maximize Your Moments! Daily Duties=Opportunities

Daily duties = Opportunities. When faced with the choice of the elevator or the stairs, hit the stairs. Quit waiting around in frustration for the best parking space and park at the far end of the lot on PURPOSE! Keep your eye out for day to day opportunities to “go the extra mile.”

=============
SUFFERING FROM
STAGNATION?
=============

If you’re already working out regularly and eating right, but you’re still not getting the results you feel you should be, the culprit may be stagnation, a.k.a. “stuck in a rut.”

Here are four ways to kick your workout into hyper-drive…

1. Shake things up! If you’re bored with your workout, or things just seem to have lost their spark, change your routine. Add in a new exercise; play around with your sets, reps and the rest you take in between. Alter your bench incline to see what happens. Enroll in one of those trendy classes most gyms now offer. The key to success is keeping things fun.

What I did for the heck of it is train for and complete a marathon.

Quite honestly, I was getting tired of the bands, the medicine balls, the weights, the same old workouts, so I change it up a bit. I finished something that I always wanted to do, I found something else that I’m passionate about and I ACTUALLY look forward to working out and lifting some weight again. (I took a year break from lifting weights.)

2. Are you slacking in the stretching and warm-up departments? Quit skimping! All you’ll need are an extra three to five minutes. Not only can this prevent soreness and injury, but it can also boost the effectiveness of your core workout as well.

3. Sometimes, distraction is a good thing. To pass the time, take your iPod along to your workout. Upload your favorite playlist and get in the “zone”, or train your brain while you’re at it, with books on tape or CDs that teach you another language. Maximize your time!

This would be a great time to listen to Chump Repellent. If you’re a grappler or Judoka, this is an excellent opportunity to listen to the advice provided in The Gold Mettle Plan.

4. Pump yourself up! Don’t wait around for someone else to do it for you. Take matters into your own hands! Remind yourself how great you feel after a workout. Pose for pictures that track your progress and post them all over! When someone tells you how great you’re looking, don’t be humble – pat yourself on the back! You’ve worked hard – take pride in your accomplishment.

========
Closing
========

There’s no elevator to the top in this game.

Each step takes blood, sweat and sometimes, tears.

Don’t let anybody lie to you – it won’t be easy!

But it WILL be worth it.

And I’ll be there with you….. Every Step Of The Way.

May God Bless you and keep you as you enter into the New Year.

Take care,
Rhadi Ferguson

=============
VERY IMPORTANT
INFO BELOW
=============

P.S. On January 9th, I'm having a FREE No-Charge Teleseminar on the Topic: "How To Make 2008 Your Best Year Ever" I'll keep you informed, it will be something that you will not want to miss!! Quite honestly, I'm expecting you to be there. Especially, if you want to make 2008 your best year ever.

P.P.S. Remember January 9th at 9pm EST. I'll give you all the details later.

My Wife Is The Greatest

2007-12-07T23:26:00.000-05:00

================
I Know I'm Biased
But I Truly Believe.....
================

I know I'm biased but I truly believe that I have the greatest wife and friend in the world in my, road dog, my partner, my ace, my sweetheart, my wife... Traci.

I was just looking through our home camera and I didn't even notice all of the pictures that she took during the marathon that I ran in November. She took some great shots and as I sit on the airplane heading out of town, all I can think about are my wife and my son.

I've had the opportunity to talk to many of my friends and family members and I can tell you right now that I KNOW how blessed I am to have a wife who allows me to be me, who doesn't stress me and who knows how to provoke me to be a better father and husband and inspires me to do more and be more. I can't tell you how much fun that I had yesterday with my wife. And you'll never guess what we did.

We were in the garage and the driveway cleaning out the cars in order to prepare them to get detailed at the carwash. It was fun, not because there's anything so super exciting about a car wash or cleaning out the car, but it was just fun to be together during the day. There aren't many people who get to spend a day or two at home during the week witih their spouse in the florida sun and also hang out with their children.

It was a blessing.

I can't even begin to tell you how sweet it is to go to the park with Traci and Rufus and to see the look on my wife's face when I'm playing with my son and making him laugh. It's look of approval, not that I need it but its a look that I will keep at the forefront of my mind at all times. Before children, you're always looking forward to that "come hither" look, but as parents, you just feel so good to get a look of approval and not disdain from your spouse.

I told Traci the other day that I was just so impressed with her "stepping it up in the mommy" category. After my parents came to visit one time, they told us how we needed to "step it up" in the parenting cctegory. Now, mind you, we were already doing "the do", but my parents are of the "to whom much is given, much is required" belief system and they speak on Rufus' behalf because he can't speak for himself and they just told us that we need to do "more".

And the advice was welcomed, hard at first but welcomed and I can tell you this - the advice has turned my home into a place of ultimate love and comfort.

If there is any advice that I can give anyone reading this blog, it's this. DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO FOR YOUR SPOUSE AND YOUR CHILDREN to make them happy. My dad used to always tell me, "its not about you" and I'd fight that dude "tooth and nail" and tell him, "it is about me." Well, I was right and so was he. It's not about me, but if I want it to be about me, I have to first make sure "its about my wife and son first."

Yesterday, after we finished cleaning the cars and we were home with Rufus, my wife said, "Your dad would be so proud of you now honey." I smiled, but on the inside I felt like I wanted to cry (for no apparent reason at all), but instead I smile and laughed and said, "Why, because I got the cars cleaned?"(just so that you all know, my dad is a stickler for making sure the car is clean and the tires are shiny at all times). My wife laughed too, I know that's not really what she meant, but I didn't want to make the mood too heavy. :-)

I know I'm all over the place right now, but I just want to tell those of you who are reading this, that although life is a big "if-then" statement, relationships don't necessarily work like that. I was counseling a couple a little while ago and the wife has really packed on some pounds and her reasoning for not wanting to lose the weight was because she was waiting for her husband to work on some areas first.

Well, in relationships, sometimes you have to just give, and give and give, without the hopes of getting something in return. I think that's really when you understand the "joy" in giving and really the depth of your love for your partner. Because if your parnter was (God forbid) in a situation where they couldn't do from themselvees, you would still have to do things for them with no recompense at all.

You would just have to have the knowledge and comfort in knowing that you did the right thing. This is no different. (This is my personal blog, so I'm gonna speak freely here).

Biblically speaking, "the Lord loves a cheerful giver" and I truly believe that if you continue to give and "love" your partner into the dirt, they will respond as you wish, but you cannot do so with the expectation of anything nor with a time frame on your giving. I know, it's tough, but that's just the way some things are, ESPECIALLY marriage. That's why the preface it with saying that this isn't something that should be entered into lightly.

The greatest gift that my parents have given me is in staying together through all the ups and downs in their marriage. It has actually provided me with an opprotunity to go to "marriage school". And their advice is well received because I know it is backed with experience and wisdom. And if there's anything that I can share with you about my family on my family's blog, it's this - POUR.

POUR into the lives of others until you don't have anything left and then watch how you are able to get refilled so that you can pour some more and then watch how your personal vessel increases in volume so that you can not only pour some more but so that you have a reserve for yourself.

You will find out that the more you pour, the more you'll have.

Believe me.

It's not about you.

As I began to give, I find out that I received more.

Not only on a family level but also on a business level.

Start giving and sit back and watch God work miracles in your life. I'm not preaching to you I'm just telling you about my family and my life.

===============
Check This Out
===============

I was diagnosed with high blood pressure last year this time and have completed a half marathon and a marathon this year. My blood pressure is down and the ejection fraction of my heart has increased and is in the normal range.

I got out of a bad business releationship last year and this year I'm blessed to have my life turn-$$$-aroud in 12 months. :-)

My wife is one of the most sought after physicians in the country and has been able to sit back and select the best job offer that was offered to her.

I truly belive that "The Secret" is a good book and DVD, but it doesn't trump sagacity and wisdom provided in the Bible.

I'm not saying that to convert anyone, I'll be the first one to tell you that I have a Torah, Book of Mormon, The Egyptian Book of the Dead, and Holy Quran in my home.

And I'm an avid reader of Plato, Aristotle and Socrates as well as the great African philosophers and those who've contributed from the Nile Valley Civilizations and Kemet. I believe in the acquiring of knowledge and then applying it, but the Bible is the best book I've ever read (that's my personal opinion).

I know I got a lil' off topic......

So, back to my point. My wife, is the greatest and I'm so appreciative of all that she does and allows me to do.

She's truly a God-send.

===================
My Main Man Rufus
===================

Complete and utter comedy on a daily basis is the best way to describe my son. Just wait for my next post when I show you what he did just recently.

=========
Traveling
=========

Yep, I have a United States Olympic Committee Meeting in December.

In January I'm on some panel at an NCAA meeting to speak about entrepreneurship after a sporting career, and then I'm also vback in San Fran to present on a bill with UFC Fighter Dan Henderson, then I have another meeting in Vega. So, I'll be quite busy and I'll have to make a trip or two to New York to see my client in preparation for the Olympic Trials.

============
Closing
============

That's about it. Everything is super cool on this end.

I hope that some of that information was helpful.

Please feel free to stop by http://www.rhadi.com/ and pick up my FREE DVD Working Out With Rhadi or just go to ( http://www.thebodyweightworkout.com/ )

================

Ooops, I almost forgot
================

Here are the pics from the Marathon on the 25th.

Take care.

Mission Complete

2007-11-26T07:19:00.000-05:00

Another milestone in life completed.

On the 25th of November, I completed my 1st Marathon.

The time wasn't spectacular, but the feat was phenomenal.

After my 5th anniversary with my lovely wife, I returned home and jumped on the scale and I weighed in at a whopping 241!!

Needless to say, that was my "you've gone too damn far number".

I think that we all have a "you've gone too damn far number" and some of us do something about and some of us ignore it.

Well, I certainly couldn't ignore it. I mean, how could I? Last year my doctor diagnosed me with high blood pressure. So I certainly had to make some changes in my life.

Since entering into the general population pool and jumping out of the special population (elite athlete) pool, I've had to make some adjustments, which are really hard. One being, I CANNOT eat like I used to when I was competing. Its not that I was eating like a pig, its just that I was working out like a madman. And when you workout like that, you can pretty much eat what you want. Now I have to be very careful what I consume and at what time I consume it.

So with all this in mind I was talking to one of my mentors and a good friend of the family, Winston M.A. Williams and he suggested that I start training for a triathlon. Well, that's the last thing that I wanted; another sport which was going to run up some more debt (I had enough of that with Judo and a thousand dollar bike, a two hundred dollar wetsuit, shoes, biking shoes, etc.,. just was more of a deterrent than it was appealing).

So, Winston recommended that I start training for a marathon. He's been able to put the smackdown on his blood pressure by doing marathons, half marathons
and triathlons. So, I told him, I'm in.

=================
Winston Williams
=================

Winston Williams is probably one of the most intelligent men that I know. He took me under his wing when I was in college as an engineering student. He graduated out of Civil Engineering and was a graduate student during the time when I was in school. He has helped me in so many ways during my formative years and now as an adult. Even to this day, he provides me with advice that is solid, well-packaged, and sometimes bitter-tasting (when I need it).

He's a SOLID individual a good friend and someone whom I love and respect.

With that being said, I immediately elevated him to Coach Williams when it came to my training.

As a strength and conditioning coach, I was floored with the information that he knew when it came to conditioning on the aerobic side, I usually deal so much with anaerobic conditioning that I didn't really pay much attention to the aerobic side and what it had to offer. Needless to say, my tune has changed more than a little bit. Also the "twos and fews" that you just don't know about in each sport are very important and that is what Winston had to clue me in
on. There's only one time where he really pissed me off!!!

Here's what happened. He forgot to tell me that I need to use some called Bodyglide when I got into my long running phase, so the first time that I did 10.5 miles, I came home, hopped into the shower and got under the water and the water hit my scrotum and I %#$$%^^&&E (expletive) HOLLERED!!!!!!!!!!

I sack looked like a red Christmas tree bulb. I had rubbed the skin right off!!!

I was $#$%^$%##$ hurting for at least a week. I called Winson immediately, to tell him about my nuts. I said, "Bro!! What the f____? Why didn't you tell me
about the chaffing?"

His reply was, "My bad dog. I didn't even think about that."

Now we laugh about it, then it wasn't funny. But I can tell you this, I put BODYGLIDE all over my sack before this run and when I took a shower, I had scrapes and cuts in other places (because you skin rubs off when you're running that long), but praise the Lord, my nutsack was just fine!!!

During my training I went down to Atlanta to meet with Coach Williams and we discussed running, training, pacing, etc.,. and also watched the UFC together. He's the one that turned me on to the best training tool that I own yet, The Garmin 305. I was able to email him my times after each run and discuss how I need to proceed in terms of my increases within my mileage (that's the secret stuff) ;-)

===================
The Hiccup In The
Training Program
===================

After several weeks of training, I began to feel a pain in my leg that subsided a couple of days after running at first and then it began to hurt at the beginning of the run and then subside during the run and I just chalked it up as the cost of doing business and kinda getting into a groove and getting warmed up. I figured that's why it went away when I started running. My knee which I had my LCL replacement surgery was acting up to so I had to make some
adjustments and run 2 times a week and do a long workout on the stairmaster 1 time a week.

I found out that I aggravated some of the muscles in the adductor group (groin and company). I realized that it was getting progressively worse to the point where I had to perform stairmaster workouts 2 times a week and only run once.

Winston recommended that I run a half-marathon, which was a GREAT idea, so that I could go through all of the pre-race preperation from checking in, packing my bags, getting ready, going through my pre-race nutritional strategies and race nutritional strategies. It was great practice. I really found out how I need to run the race and how not to get a caught up in the hype and as Coach Williams said, "How To Check My Ego At The Door when I leave the house".

The practice run went phenomenal. In my first half-marathon, I ran a 2:09. Two hours and 9 minutes. That's not to bad for a big guy, not bad at all. I ran the whole thing at a sub 10 minute per mile pace, BUT ---- I really hurt myself in the process.

I didn't listen!!

Coach Williams said for this to be a practice run, the competitive side of me wanted to do the whole thing at sub-10 pace. I accomplished it, but at the price of a huge injury. My adductor muscle group was shot!

I couldn't walk for a couple of days, nor could I run.

I didn't do anything except for lift and shoot a new exercise video, which hurt like hell to shoot, but you'd never know it. It's called The Total Body Workout which will be here in 2008, it going to be PHENOMENAL!! I shot it all in one day, its over 3 hours of material (the video shoot took ALL DAY!!)

I was able to do the stairmaster 2 times, the week before the Marathon on the 25th and I walked 5 miles 3 days out.

=================
Not Optimal, But
Doable
=================

I was told by several people don't do this marathon and just do the one in Miami next year.

Coach Williams told me to heal up and train for the next one.

I said, "Nope."

And I'll tell you why. My injury, from what I read and researched, would have been chronic. And that's something that I'm not willing to deal with. Pain at one time in my life used to be welcomed with open arms. Now, I run from it like its the plagued. So I just had to buck up and run the 26.2 with my longest run being 13.1 three weeks prior.

I know it sounds crazy, but I want all those reading this to know that completing a marathon has more to do with your mental disposition than your physical one. Don't get me wrong, you DO have to train, but you BETTER train your mind and take it to a place that its never been. Some people need the long mileage for that. Fortunately as an Olympian and former elite athlete, I have a closet full of experiences in my mind which I can reflect on to provide me with such
remebrances of discomfort and agony.

So, the 25th of November is here and the week before I was in Tallahassee trying to get some research done for my dissertation, I hadn't slept a whole lot, I had a late coaching call the night before along with one of my clients and a physician and I had to get up at 3:30am because my hotel was about 40 minutes from the starting line and check-in, so here we go........

=============
At The Race Site
=============

The race site is full of people, full of people doing a half-marathon. There are some full marathoners but more half marathoners. The full marathon number bib is like a badge of honor. People provide you with so much respect when they see you. They say, "Good luck", "go get 'em", and other dumb nonsensical
phrases like that.

At the start of the race, I was nervous like a hooker in church, but I remember what Coach Winston told me, "GO SLOW!" I had a conversation with another dude who had run plenty of marathons himself and he had some advice for me. He said, "Go Slow, the people in front of you will die, and you'll catch them in the end". I took that advice to heart. As soon a Coach Williams told me to go slow a couple of days ago, I changed around my music selection in my Ipod to
all slow jams, gospel and R&B. I started out super slow. And sure enough I caught a boat load of people in the end. But here's my race in review:

Before I do that I want to say thank you to my wife, Traci, who drove from work to meet me at the finish line. I was so happy when I saw her that I damn near cried, but my body was too hurt to expend the energy in that direction.

Thanks to my cousin Mark Beckford, who drove me down to Cocoa Beach and who's driving me back. My legs aren't really working to well now, so I'm so thankful.

Thanks to my cousins Victor and Florence who watched our son Rufus while I was competing.

Much thanks to Coach Winston Williams for helping get through the line. I called him at mile 18 and he said, "See It Through!!"

Thanks to my parents and those who sent supportive emails... Here's the recap...

Mile 1
No problem, people are laughing, chilling, talking and I'm in the zone. I'm resolve and committed to stay out here until I finish. I realize that I'm going to be pounding this pavement for upwards of 5 to 6 hours and its going to get tight. I feel great. I'm doing a 3:1 pace. Which is 3 minute run, 1 minute walk.

Mile 2
No problem, feeling fine, feeling good

Mile 3
I said to myself, this is going to be no problem, I told them this was easy. All I gotta do is stay with this pace and I'm going to be straight.

Mile 4
I'm straight chilling and loving life. I was looking at all the homes on the beach and watching the people zoom by. The half marathoners were having a good
time.

Mile 5
People are starting to peel off to the side of the road and stretch. Some have some aches and pains. They are looked at as casualties of the war with the pavement. The exodus moves on.

Mile 6
The fast runners have already hit the turnaround point and you can see them coming back. You start wishing that you were where they are. At this point of the race the bottom of my feet start hurting. I think its because my pace is so slow that my feet are just striking the ground more. It feels weird and I begin to mentally extrapolate and future how I'm going to feel, but I can't because this is about half of the longest distance that I ran.

Mile 7
I get to the turn around point and I'm still running at 13:00 minute per mile pace, but I step it up a little to change the view. The bodies in the back look a little bit different than those in the front :-) I've found a person who's running the same pace as I am and we run together for about 10 minutes

Mile 8
My water bottle is getting low, but not really low. I'm thinking that I need to start filling it up, but I don't do it at this water station, I wait until the next one. The front of my knees are hurting a little bit, but everything is cool. I'm really happy with the musical selection on my Ipod.

Mile 9
My water bottle is empty. Just in case you didn't know, I run with a CamelPak on. Coach Williams suggested it and its a great investment. I do seem to drink more than others and the rest stops just aren't enough. I'm getting a little uneasy because I can feel myself getting thirsty. You don't want to ever have that feeling when you're running a marathon. It was 72 degrees in the morning and about 85 during the height of the day and humid. It was hot.

Mile 10
Thank God!! Water! I fill up my water bottle with water and gatorade, eat a couple of energy bars, strap the CamelPak back on and keep gettin' it. I'm feeling great, but I'm slightly worried because I'm getting a little bit tired and I'm not even halfway yet.

Mile 11
The pace of the race speeds up because the half-marathoners are almost done. They are cheering and screaming and clapping. I remember how happy I was when I finished my half-marathon and I felt happy for them, but I had to slightly speed up and get away from them because they were messing up my "mental". I needed to be in a place where others could understand where I was in the race. I needed to be around the people who knew that their breathing and their footsteps were going to be their external heartbeats that were going to provide the rhythm for them to finish. I need to be around people who were cool, calm, collected and willing to walk into the fiery furnace of these last 15 miles.

Mile 12
I'm thinking to myself. I feel good. A lot better than when I finished my half-marathon a couple of weeks ago, Maybe this won't be to bad. Wow!

Mile 13
The half marathoners peel off to the left for the finish, the marathoners peel off to the right. I'm stoked, I'm excited. I high five one of the volunteers and switch Ipods to change my music selection. I'm jamming to Kanye West, Fifty Cent, P. Diddy, R. Kelly and host of others. I'm feeling great. But, I'm all by myself. THERE'S NOBODY around. NOBODY!! I looked behind me and saw nobody. I said to myself, "Hmmmmm, this must be what its like."

Mile 14
Uncharted Territory.
Everything after this point is new. When I hit mile 14 I began to get nervous but I was feeling okay. I knew I was going to finish (at this point). I saw one lady in front of my that I ran down. She had her husband following her on a bike which was so nice, loving, and cute. It was very supportive and was an excellent display of love and support. My CamelPak is getting low again and I'm thinking, "I don't have the energy to fill this up again." My pace after mile 13 has kicked up to 4:1. Four minutes running and 1 minute walking.

Mile 15
PEOPLE!!! Not only do I see people, but I see people running towards me who are headed for the finish line. These people are giving me hope. They are moving at a pretty fast clip. I look behind me and see the sign that say mile 23. I think, "Hmmmm, I'm almost done."

Something had fallen from the tree into the back of the heel of my shoe, so I decided to use my right foot and step on the heel of my left foot to get the thing out. When I went to slide my left heel up, I felt like somebody hit me with a tazer in my left hamstring. "ZAP!! Get down, get down on the floor right now!"

That's what I thought I heard, but nobody said anything, that was my hamstring talking to me. Now I'm wondering how in the heck am I going to get this little thing out of my shoe. I said, forget it and just kept running because there was now way to get it out without getting Tazered again.

Mile 16
I'm still looking for this dude that came out of the bushes and hit me in the legs with a baseball bat. I didn't see him, but I swear to you he's there. At mile 16 that mofo came out there and beat my @$$!! I was having a hard time standing up. And now I'm thinking to myself, "I'm in trouble and I got 10 more miles to go.

Mile 17
I'm seriously thinking my life over and going over, in my mind, who I did wrong and why? I'm asking for forgiveness and wondering why that man came out the bushes and hit me like that. I didn't do nothing to him. Then I'm thinking, "Why is this thing in my shoe?" And I'm getting so frustrated that I could cry. The pain is getting a little past intense and is ramping up significantly.

Mile 18
Shoot me. Just shoot me now. I called Winston and said, I can't stop running anymore. If I stop running, I won't be able to run anymore. I knew this because at one rest stop, I stopped for a second and my legs almost gave out. So I kept running.

Mile 19
Still running (and moaning). I'm asking myself, "Where in the hell is the turnaround. When am I going to turnaround and comeback.

Mile 20
Still running (and moaning and grimacing). I've hit the turnaround and then I started congratulating myself. I said, you've run 20, you can walk the next 6 and be cool. And I agree.

Mile 21
I quit. I just started walking. And I had in my mind that I was going to walk the rest of the way. I was hurting SEVERELY. And please do not underestimate the word SEVERELY here. I mean SEVERELY. I was done. I couldn't understand why people do something so dumb and then I saw this man who walked past me with a 50 States Marathon shirt on. It said that he did a marthon in 50 states. So I asked him if he had. He said, "Yep, as a matter of fact I've done 243 of them." That was EXACTLY what I didn't need to hear. And then this ole lady walked past me and she said, "You'll finish. The key is..... Run when you can and walk when you must!"

Mile 22
I'm back on my horse! I'm running when I can and walking when I must. I can actually feel every muscle in my legs hurting. My hips are hurting. My hamstring is trying to knot up and I gotta run and walk with a lil' gimp so I can keep it somewhat straight so it doesn't lock up on me. I'm running when I can, walking when I must and I'm passing the people that passed me, again.

Mile 23
Now I'm trying to cut deals with God. Who knows why I'm doing this, but I am. I'm saying, "Okay Lord, here's the deal. If you can just hit the fast forward button that we all know that you have up there and get me to mile 26, I'll be so appreciative. As a matter of fact. I won't EVER do this again. I promise."

Then the policeman sees how bad I'm laboring and asks "Are you alright?" I reply, "Man, I okay, but my legs are thrashed. This marathon right now feels like a bad pair of shoes that I need to get out of." He laughed, but was relieved that I was okay. I looked bad, but my breathing was okay. My shoulders, back and legs were thrashed!!

Mile 25
I start running 1:1. I'm running for a minute and walking for a minute and telling myself that its almost over. I'm passing more people and I see the 25 mile marker sign and I start to get excited. I can feel the blisters on my feet and every bone and muscle in my feet aching. My hamstring is cramping while running and walking but I refuse to cry out. I moaned when I was by myself, but I will not do it now, not in front of the people I'm passing, I just run. I've stopped running 1:1 and now I'm just running and walking a little and then running again. I keep it going.

Mile 26
I couldn't believe that I was almost done.
My body was hurting and I couldn't understand why anyone would want to do this again. I could see the finish line. I was running and dragging my leg across the line. I could feel my groin hurting. It was the same leg in which my hamstring was cramping. I was running like a lame dog with a bad hitch in my giddy- up, but I was running none-the-less. I made it through the finish line and ran right to my wife :-)

===================
After the Marathon
===================

PAIN

I took a shower and when the water hit me, I hollered. I didn't realized how much skin rubbed off my body

===================
NIGHT AFTER THE
MARATHON
===================

PAIN

===================
MORNING AFTER THE
MARATHON
===================

EXCRUCIATING PAIN

Am I glad that I did it? Yep?

Will I do it again?

Well, I'm signed up already for the ING Marathon in Miami. Who Knows? Right now I think no!

===========
Closing
===========

All jokes aside, the experience was great. I wouldn't trade it in for nothing. As a Strength and Conditioning professional I learned a great deal. I was able to dive and delve in an area which was, for all intents and purposes, uncharted territory. I also was able to understand why long distance training IS necessary. I really has less to do with what the training does for you and more to do with what you're during while you're training. The mental clarity and acuity
that's developed from being on the road or on a machine by yourself for 45 minutes to 90 minutes is golden.

I remember the day when I no longer wanted to train for judo. I was doing a long run and I just stopped. I stopped and started walking back to the house. I remember telling Jimmy Pedro about. Jimmy's a 4-Time Olympian, Two Time Olympic Medalist and a World champion and he said, "Yep, I've been there, I've been there too." I really appreciated the experience.

I feel like I've entered into a special club or fraternity. And I guess I have. I finished the race in 5 hours and 46 minutes.

Like I said before. Thanks for your support and please feel free to pick up my FREE Bodyweight DVD at http://www.thebodyweightworkout.com/

Florida Classic...Here We Come!

2007-11-14T17:15:00.000-05:00

The Florida Classic is the biggest and most well-attended football game between two HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). The Florida A&M University Rattlers and the Bethune Cookman College Wildcats along with thousands of fans will converge on Orlando Florida's Citrus Bowl this weekend to celebrate this monumental game.

I say monumental because Rufus will be attending his first college football game. The family did go to Howard University's Homecoming last month but after spending a late night out with Rhadi the night before, I surely couldn't muster up enough strength to make the game. But Rufus and I did get to watch the game on television and even got to see Rhadi and P. Diddy during their fouth quarter interview segment.

Earlier this month, Rhadi, Rufus and I spent Friday evening under the lights at our cousin's high school football game. Watching the young kids cheer on their team, the parents chaperone and volunteer behind the concession stands and the fans enjoy the cool evening in the stands made me remember our high school days.

Go back almost 15 years and fans would have been cheering for Rhadi and the rest of the Richard Montgomery Football team. Back in the day, Rhadi was our football team. He played on the offense and the defense and even kicking the ball a few times. Even though I really didn't understand the game back then, I knew when to cheer and when not to cheer.

And now we're going to share our football experiences with Rufus!

I can't wait to see his face when he sees tens of thousands of people cheering, laughing and having fun and of course, we can't forget the marching bands!

Rufus loves music and it won't be long before he's playing the piano, the steel guitar, the drums or whatever instrument he touches. He's musically inclined and he's going to have a ball bouncing and moving to the tunes from FAMU and BCC's bands.

I'm going to have to bring the camera and take lots of pictures because this is one game that we won't want to forget.....

Rhadi Ferguson, Howard Homecoming, the 1/2 Marathon,

2007-11-09T09:59:00.000-05:00

================

Introduction

================

It has certainly been a while since my last post and I sincerely apologize, but when I let you know what's been going on, you'll be very pleased.

My life has been full of highs and no lows. It's been super exciting, super busy and super cool. I'm not sure where to start so I'll just start where I left off last time.

=================

Howard Homecoming

=================

Most of you know that I graduated from Howard University in 1997 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and then again with a Masters of Arts in Teaching. Well, there's no secret of why I went to school and then returned to go again. I absolutely love my school, what it did for me, what I did for it and what it continues to do for others. For those that also don't know, Howard University is a HBCU. That means it is on of the Hitorically Black Colleges and Universities. It is a great place to go to college especially for people of color who really need an opportunity to develop their self. Often times we are bombarded with negative images of people of color and it is just refreshing to walk among african and african-american Ph. Ds, Professors, Entrepeneurs, Politicians, etc.,.

While at Howard I learned a great deal about myself, my culture, my country and the sacrifice that others have made for me and why I should honor their sacrifice by choosing the correct path for my life, for my behavior and for the legacy which I will leave on this earth and to my children. Not reading, jamming rap music in my head - without understanding the richness
of music and the platform from which the artist speak, wearing my pants hanging off my @ss, or not voting and the like are not options for me.

I have too much respect for Malcolm, Kwame Toure (Stokely Carmichael), Nelson Mandela, Martin, Booker T. Washington, The Tuskegee Airmen, Charles Drew, Ms. Parks, Fredrick Douglas, my parents, and modern day heroes who I went to school with and graduated with - governing myself accordingly is imperative.

Therefore, when Homecoming rolls around every year and you hear people like Ludacris and Biggie Smalls mention in their rap songs you can just imagine why it is such an extravaganza. To hang out with hundreds of thousands of individuals who look like you, who can fully understand you and who welcome you is comforting and welcoming. And, it's where I went to school and
I just really enjoy seeing some of my classmates again and the faculty and staff who where there and assisted in my growth process.

I think that everyone should attend Howard Homecoming. It is something that everyone needs to exeperience and everyone needs to see. Howard is smack-dab in the middle of Washington, DC and there is so much to do, but I doubt that you will do anything save for what's on the Homecoming Agenda which is the yardfest on Friday, a party friday night, the game on Saturday, the yardfest on saturday, a party saturday night, church (or however you recover) on sunday and then back home.

Howard University is a place that welcomes everyone. I don't want anyone to read my post and think that its just for blacks, just like Stanford and UCLA are not just for whites, Howard is not just for blacks. It just so happens that there are some schools that have a huge Caucasian population and some that do not. Howard University is one that does not, but there are
student of other nationalities there.

I remember one student who went to Howard when I was there who was white who told me, "The first day that I walked on campus, I finally knew exactly how you all 'feel' when you walk into a room." I told him, "and you'll also know that it gets easier the more you do it, but the 'feeling' never goes away." He replied, "True dat." Then we both laughed.

Enought about Howard University. You can look up information about Howard University and her rich heritage at http://www.howard.edu/

================

The Homecoming

Experience

================

Since attending Howard I really didn't think that anything would top the Howard Homecoming of 1995 when Biggie Smalls was on the yard during yardfest. It was such a surreal experience. I remember having the opportunity to dap him up because one of his bodyguards was my fraternity brother. He was larger than life, an icon, a celebrity of huge proportion. After that
homecoming in 1995, I had to agree that no Homecoming would ever top that one.

Then there were others that were good, but not quite like that one.

***2004***

There was the Homecoming of 2004 after I made the Olympic Team where I got to hang out with New Edition and LL Cool J and LL's trainer David Honig, with whom I still converse with to this day.

***2005***
Then there was 2005 which was off the chain where the oh so smooth Mya, Method Man, Larenz Tate and various actors were present.

***2006***

Then we had Ice Cube, Lil Mo, and a host of friends which made the 2006 Homecoming sweet like popsicle juice and then......
(drum roll please)

***2007***
In my opinion 2007 was the BEST Howard University Homecoming ever (at least for me, if you're lame, then no Homecoming is going to be good for you).

I'm always in the mix, with the right people, the right crowd and there at the right time. I'm not sure how this works, maybe it good karma, I call it a blessing.

Here's How my Homecoming began....

I arrived on Thursday and hung out with my parents who stay in Maryland. This homecoming was special because it was actually Rufus' first time to attend Homecoming. He went last year, but it was too cold for him to be outside so he couldn't be on the yard. On Friday we arrived for the Yardfest. It was cool to see all the former players, pimps, and husltas again and to see
how they are now SUPER professionals. It seems like everyone has an MBA, an MD, or an Ph. D., except me. I'm slippin' but will catch 'em next year :-)

Friday was cool. Traci, Rufus and I hung out on the yard. Rufus met "the fam" (slang for all our close friends) and he played on a little basketball game on the yard incessantly. Everytime we tried to take him away from it, he'd cry.

It was certainly a good time. After the yardfest, I went with Ken "Big Sexy" Stewart and some visiting bruhs to a Sushi spot out in Pentagon City, then later on I hung out with the Ques in front of the Howard Towers as we hung out and ate barbeque.

My mom picked up Rufus from the yard at around 2:30. Friday night, we DID IT BIG at Club Love in DC. It was on and poppin'. The music was hype, the atmosphere was "grown and
sexy" and towards the end of the night P. Diddy came onto the floor in the DJ Booth and got the party crunk. It was so "delishus"! The night was good and it ended around 4:30am. Traci and I didn't get back to home base until around 5:40. Let me rephrase that, the party didn't end at 4:30... We left at 4:30, the party ended with the rising of the sun at around 6:30.

================

Saturday Morning

================

I returned back to campus at 8am in the morning after about 1 hour of sleep because I was, again, one of the Marshals in the Homecoming Parade. My friend and frat brother, Tyrone Lewis came with me. We were more than tired from the activities the night before. But we had to get up early to reap the benefits of the early risers during homecoming.

The benefits are hanging out with high powered celebs and making good quality contacts during homecoming. This is what you're supposed to do during homecoming - network and thats what we did this morning.

We had an opportunity to meet several folks like Carl Lewis, Tyson Beckford, Chaka Khan, Melyssa Ford, Omarion, Bow Wow, P. Diddy, AJ, Maurice Greene and several other folks. It was phenomenal. After the game, we hung out on the yard some more, then caught a nice dinner and then partied the night away. After that, around 5:30 am, we ended up at the International House of Pancakes to eat. It was a blistering day off of only 1hour of sleep.

=======

Sunday

=======

Because I'm still in-training for my marathon, I got up on Sunday morning around 11am (very little rest) and ran 5 miles at a 4-1 pace (4 minute run: 1 minute walk). It went cool. After my run, I had to head back to DC to sit down and have a cool dinner with Shawn Springs and some friends. I've known Shawn since high school and his dad was my running back coach at Howard University. Shawn went to Ohio State and now he plays ball for the Washington Redskins. After that I came back home, rested, played with Rufus, talked with Traci and pre-packed so that we could catch our flight back home. That was homecoming in a nutshell.

==============

Half Marathon
Complete

==============

Now on to the 1/2 marathon I ran...........

On the 4th of November I ran a 1/2 Marathon in Boca Raton. It was cool and it was sponsored by the Police Athletic League. I ended up running sub 10 minute pace and ran a time of 2:09. 2 hours and 9 minutes. That's not too bad for a first-timer and for a dude that weighs 225 pounds :-) I severely hurt my adductor muscle group in my left leg and I've been rehabbing. So I hope I'll be ready for the full marathon that I'm running on the 25th of November :-)

===============

Now On To Miami Ink

===============

If you've never heard of the show Miami Ink, well it's a reality based show that is surrounded around the lives of the artists in the tatoo shop of Miami Ink on South Beach. It is pretty funny and comes on Television. I just did a taping for that show this week and it will air some time next year. I can't say too much about it or show you the tattoo because of the paperwork that I signed, but its sweet.

============

Closing

============

I just want you to know that my IRB from my school (the final one) has been approved and I will continue with my data collection at the end of this year and the beginning of next year. I'm really looking forward to it so that I can be done with this Ph. D. next year.

Rufus is getting older, Traci is getting finer and I'm just trying to get it.

I did 12 Miles Yesterday and it hurt!

2007-10-15T16:42:00.000-04:00

=============
Introduction
=============

Training for my first marathon thus far has been absolutely fun....... until this weeekend. I completed 12 miles and I had to ask myself the tough question as I rounded the corner to my home, feeling every step and running while my calf muscle was cramping for the last 3 miles - I had to ask myself, and I already knew the answer..... "Could I turn around RIGHT NOW and do this all over again?"

And sadly enough, the answer to that question was "Hell No!!" :-)

================
You Gotta Earn It
================

Someone gave me a great piece of advice last week. A good friend of mine who runs triathlons told me that "running is a commodity that is earned." I see know that you have to earn the right to run without worry about a certain distance. For example, I don't even blink at the thought of running 3 miles or 5 for that matter. I know that I can walk/run a cool 10 miles too, but the thought of 26.2 right now is enormous.

As I train I know that will become less and less of a problem because there was a time when I first started that I couldn't even fathom running 5 miles straight, but this week I ran five miles at a 9:32/mile pace.

I finished the 12 miles in 10:53/mile pace.

================
What's Next
================

Next up, I'm doing a half marathon on the 4th of November. It should be fun. I'm looking forward to it. I really need to run under some race conditions and really focus on maintaining MY PACE and not getting caught up in the race hype that can actually cripple you deep into the race.

Right now the immediate "next thing" for me is ICE!!!

================
Closing
================

I'm trying to get Traci and Rufus to do the 5K with me when I run the half marathon. I truly believe that fitness is a family affair.

Take care and if you're looking to get in great shape just check out The Bodyweight Workout

Marathon Training Is Fun

2007-10-13T01:13:00.000-04:00

==============
Introdcution
==============

I've been wanting anew challenge for some time. Something that won't hurt my body too bad :-) but what will get me in great shape. So I decided to train for a marathon. And I must admit, it has been very challenging. Tonight I just finished my 5 mile run and I completed the whole run in about 46 minutes. I finished with an average pace of 9:13 per mile, which isn't bad for a 220 pounder :-)

==============
1st test, Half Marathon
==============

This weekend I will run 12 miles well, run/walk, but it will be 12 none the less. And then after that I'll do a half marathon on the 4th of November.

This will be a good test so I can work on keeping my pace during the race and really concentrate on not getting caught up in the race day hype. I will also be able to figure out which foods work best for me during my run.

===============
More time with Rufus
===============

Running allows me to spend more time with Rufus, because I can train in the morning when he's sleep and run in the evening when Traci comes home, but its only 2-3 times a week. I'm not on the mat as much anymore and I haven't been to Judo practice in months, but that's cool. I'm not a fan of pain anymore. I do go to MMA practice sometimes at American Top Team to get some grappling in and I haven't lost a step. The last time I was there, my instructor Liborio said to me, "Man you should really do this s---! You can do this!"

I already know that, but I struck a deal with my wife that I wouldn't pursue the MMA thing. I thing I got the bad end of that deal :-)

===========
Closing
===========
Everything is cool. Howard Homecoming is in a couple of day. Traci, Rufus and I will travel together and that should be exciting.

I've been working out and training and things are going well. Traci si doing well and Rufus is THE MAN!!

Back At The Olympic Training Center, But This Time For Fun :-)

2007-10-10T10:16:00.000-04:00

===============

Introduction

===============

Traveling is hectic, but traveling with my wife is fun.

We just had a spectacular time this past weekend as we traveled to Colorado Springs, CO to celebrate the birthday of one of our friends, Cara Heads.

Cara just turned the big 3-0. And we thought that we'd surprise her and shoot down there and take her out for her birthday. It was cool.

We left Boca on Friday and then came back on Sunday.

==============
The OlympicTraining
Center
==============

Before going to the Olympic Training Center in the morning, I had to get up and do my 5 mile run because I'm still training for my Marathon in January. I truly forget about the high altitude in Colorado Springs, CO and I damn near killed myself as I ran the same pace that I run when I'm on sea level. I'm not blazing or anything like that, I'm doing an 11:00 minute per mile pace, but for a dude who is not a distance runner and 220 pounds, that's moving. :-)

Traci stayed in the room and did the usual workout that she does at home and then we both went to the OTC to meet Cara for breakfast.

It was weird driving back into the OTC again. I told Traci that my life has really changed since I lived here, with the major change being our son, Rufus. I remember the days when I used to eat, sleep and drink, Judo. Now I eat, sleep and drink, Rufus and Traci and my coaching business.
We had breakfast which was quite good then I met several people who were there when I used to live there and then I met a young lady who is one of my favorite Track and Field athletes at this time, Olympic Gold Medalist and 400 meter runner DeeDee Trotter.

Traci and I both saw her as she was running down the Olympic Path at the training center and we both had to agree that she moved like a gazelle. Every stride was completely effortless. She looked like poetry in motion.

Traci and I met her in the weight room and we took some pictures. She was super cool.

I also ran into my main man C.C. Fisher who is back on the wrestling mat at the OTC after doing a stint of collegiate coaching.

==================
And We're Off
==================

After hanging out in the weight room and watching Cara lift, we all hopped into the car and went to the Rodizio Grill in Denver, Colorado. Its a brazilian steakhouse which was

good and then we all went to see an IMAX movie.

If you've never watched an IMAX movie on the big screen, it's something that you've just gotta do. It was my first time and it was a phenomenal experience.

Then we went to Sushi Den in Denver. The sushi was okay, but not spectacular. Traci and I had to agree that the sushi from our favorite place in Boca, Sushi Yama, was better. And it definitely is not better than the Sushi at Kyoto in Delray Beach. But it was good.

==================

The Accident

==================

I almost ruined the evening because after I dropped Traci and Cara off at the front of the restaurant, I went to park the car and when I was rounding the corner, the back tire clipped the curb and went flat.

I was pissed and had to wait for AAA to come and fix the tire. After that the evening was cool. We were supposed to go and ride go karts later but that kind of ruined the whole time table.
It was a fun weekend. I'm glad that we got to hang out. Both Traci and I agreed that we need to get out and see our friends more. Cara's been to Florida, our friend Kay has been here but we haven't visited anyone.

Next up, we gotta go see our friend G. Stewart and Keita Rone.

===============

Something ToThink On

===============

Go and spend some time with your friends and loved ones. Its such a shame that we really don't see the people we care about until a calamity occurs or a wedding. The great thing about going to Howard University, is at least once a year during Homecoming, you can see a lot of your friends, but under normal circumstances, you just don't get to see your really close friends and loved ones. Go see them. It will do your heart and theirs some good.

Oh, and don't stay long. It's better to leave with people wishing you could stay longer, than having them wish you would go :-)

===============

Closing

===============

Coming Soon! Howard University Homecoming. This will be Rufus' first homecoming. We took him last year but it was too cold for him to be outside. Hopefully, weather permitting, he'll be able to hang! :-)

Did 10.5 Miles on Sunday

2007-10-03T12:26:00.000-04:00

===============
Introduction

===============

Sunday I did my 10.5 mile walk/run where I did 5 min. run/1 minute walk. I finished in exactly 2 hours which was decent for me. It was the first time that I did over 10 miles. I must admit that toward the end it was getting BOOOOOORRRRRRRRIIIIIINNNNGGGGG!!! Omigosh, if I had hair I would have pulled it out.

================
Everything went wrong!
================

During my run, everything went wrong. I turned on my GPS and heart rate monitor watch and it read, "low battery" and then turned off. I had to put it back in the car. I had no way of keeping my time so then I just used my Ipod. I looked at the time on my Ipod and then at the 6 mile point my freeking Ipod stopped working. This pissed me off. While running I had to take my bag off, put my headphones in my bag, take my Ipod off, whip out my cellphone and run with my cellphone in my hand to keep the time. This was so irritating I could have acted like my son and plopped down on the concrete and start to throw a major temper tantrum.

===============
Why didn't someone
tell me
===============

Goodness gracious, I didn't know that there was such a thing as bodyglide. What is bodyglide? Well body glide is a lubricant that you can use so that you don't get chaffed on your long runs. I wish someone would have mentioned that to me before Sunday :-/ Ouch, would be an understatement.

================
Family Pictures are finally
here!!
=================

We finally got the family pictures back and they look absolutely wonderful. Well, my wife and son look absolutely wonderful, I look okay :-)

I didn't realize that taking pictures with kids was so difficult. The little guy was just fine until the photographer arrived and then he began to cry like someone had taken his lunch money.

The photo shoot took about 90 minutes, but we got about 300 pictures out of the shoot. It was a good time and agreat recommendation by my father.

============
Closing
============

Well, now I'm taking my Ipod to get fixed (really my wife is), I'm still running, my weight is around 220, my blood pressure is 116/62, my doctor is pleased and everything is great - except for my knees :-(

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson (Still holdin' it down!)