Heroes....

So I decided to do this post about some of my heroes...and these are not in any sort of order...I do this because I feel that it is important for all of us to look up to someone/something. It is OK to do what others have done. It is OK to be inspired by the accomplishments of others, as long as we do not just sit back and watch, rather find inspiration in what they do and try to inspire others...I can only hope that someday I make someones heroes list...Whether it is my children's or someone else, It is a goal. So enjoy my list and think of your own...and it never hurts to thank them if you can...By writing this, I am thanking as well...Thank you...

Vanessa Kasparek: Anyoe that can put up with me on a daily basis is already a hero. However what makes her my hero is her abilities as a mother, teacher, and wife, but most of all she has always loved me for who I am...Whether I was 60+ pounds, or at my current weight, she loved me for who I am...and as all of us know, we can be the biggest asses to those we love..She even loves me during those days...and her cheering during my races spurs me on.

Pops Kasparek: He pushed and pushes me harder than anyone...Through words, actions or just knowing in my mind what he may be thinking...My hardest coach was him...As most of us athletes would say...Our parents were our hardest coaches.

Babi Kasparek: Her bluntness inspires many and her determination keeps those around her going as well.

Tim Kasparek: His jump into the world of fitness and Triathlons jump started me to where I am...

Casey Kasparek: His ability as an artist inspires and his ability to make people feel without saying a word, but rather by painting, drawing, sculpting, etc. is amazing.

Steve Prefontaine: He knew nothing but to run his hardest.

Dean Karnazes: I have read both of his books...His abilities are amazing..It makes you laugh and also say what the #$%^ in the same breath.

Ryne Sandberg: He was one of my first heroes.

Hayden Fry: He brought winning to things that had never won.

The Presidents: I may not always agree with their principles/decisions, but I cannot do anything but admire those that take on the challenge of leading our great nation.

Mrs. Mary Campbell: She taught me how to communicate in a world, where even though texting and e-mailing, and blogging are inthe forefront,communicating face to face is what gets things accomplished.

Grandpa Kasparek: He taught me to drive, but he also taught me to do what I wanted as Long as I did not do it half ass...Always do your best...

Grandpa Friedl: Never left his presense without him telling me he was proud of me, and anytime that I see a movie where the father/grandfather stands and says a prayer before a meal, I think of him.

So those are a few...There are many more,and I am sure that I will add to this list in the future. We can accomplish much with our talents, however it does not hurt to have heroes and friends....

Felt Good...

So today I crunched into my busy schedule a 6 miler...and it felt really good...considering I forgot my athletic fit(spandex) undershorts, and my NipGuards...So had to resort back to my old ways of band-aids and boxer briefs...The band-aids did their job....the briefs? Well lets just say I won't forget the shorts ever, ever again. So besides all of that, and the balmy windy and weather, I turned in a recent best of 8:55 per mile..and considering a few of the hills, I am very excited about my time...

In case you have no clue what NipGuards are...I have added their link to my favorites listed on the side...Enjoy and do not laugh to hard...If you are a fan of "The Office", you will love'em...

NO Excuses Now..

So it is official, official...Last night I purchased my plane ticket for the Marine Corps Marathon in DC...Only cost me $5 and some frequent flier miles...So there is no turning back now...Also feeling even more inspired about DC after watching the John Adams HBO Mini-Series the last few days...If you have not seen it yet...Get it...Amazing...

Garmin 305...The Real Deal...

Well I am starting to figure out why my goal time of 1:50 for the last Half-Marathon may have been a little off...Let's just say the Garmin 305 is a little, ok, a lot more accurate than the Nike+ for mileage, pretty much right on the mark... So today when I did my 10 miler, I just kept going, and going and going, right past my old 10 mile route....Hmmmmm....Needless to say my Half-Marathon time of 2:01 is pretty accurate, but I feel that I have a great chance to break that PB at either my Half-Marathon on the 29th of March or my first international race on the 3rd of May in Vancouver, Canada....

Either way, my 10 miler today felt pretty good...One thing I have learned over the last year is to listen to my body, consume the fluids when I need to and WALK when I need to, which is hardly at all...

So the words of wisdom or observation today for those of us that struggle with our weight...and the ensuing battles....Whenever someone that is fit either tells us we look good or not so good it makes an impact...When someone that has been overweight feels that they have finally been accepted into the "Fit" World, it has an impact on their life...If they feel resistence etc. it can have the opposite affect...So as someone that has now been on both sides of the spectrum, I am try to be aware of the feelings of all body types in the gym, and would ask all that read this to do the same...

A NEW TOY...

So I was talking to my little brother Tim this past weekend, which has become a normal occurance since we are competing against each other in weight loss. Didn't I mention in my first post the competitiveness of the Kasparek Family. Anyhow, he mentioned that I should look into a GPS watch since my training programs always go by distance, more so than time. Well in light of being awarded with the Supervisor of the Year for the Base and then for the Region, I decided to reward myself with a little approval of course from Vanessa. Low and behold I invested in a Garmin 305 GPS Training Watch...I LOVE IT....

The thing tracks exactly how far, fast and how many calories I am burning...Of course, the damn thing will also tell me to speed up....funny, it never tells me to slow down....Then when I plug it into the computer it shows me my route and breaks down my time per mile, minute etc. Gives me my elevations etc. AWESOME....

To be honest I never ever thought I would be this into running...To be honest it is the one thing I have that I know for me, keeps the weight off...and it lets me breathe and relieve the stress of the day to day items that may come up at work, home...whatever it may be.

I want to start to end my posts with things that I feel are important to those that may have struggled with weight loss, that we understand that we are not alone, and we all feel this way...or similar..I first say that I am no expert...I am simply a recovering Fat Man...or as I have said in this blog, a Manwich Man.

So here goes for this one...Isn't it funny how many times you can look into a mirror, or a window with a reflection. We look to see if the person we see is the person we want to see. Maybe its the pants we are wearing or the way the color of our shirt looks...or the way our chin looks when we put our head up or how it doubles as we put it down. So my advise...Keep looking in that mirror but instead of critiquing what we see, be happy that you can walk away from the reflection and if you are NOT happy with who you see you can do something about it. Some cannot, and wish they could...Do not waste it...(Miles of Running the past 2 days 14+ Miles)

From Manwiches to the Man I am still trying to be....

Upon graduating college, I was still in pretty good shape. What can I say, intramurals, 4 years of Summer Camps and walking across campus kept me in shape. Then I got out into the real world, on my own and it is safe to say that I packed on some pounds.

My career was blossoming as a Youth Director in the Navy, and so was my waist line. From a 36 to a 42 in a matter of a few years. My face went from athletic to round. My color went from red in the summer time, to red all of the time. Why did I let this happen? Who really knows. It did and in a way I am glad it did. In 2000 I met my beautiful wife, who loved me for who I was on the inside, how could she love me for what was on the outside...at least thats what I thought. We were engadged at the Vatican, yep that Vatican...and were married in the Spring of 2002. I can still remember looking into the crowd at the ceremony and seeing someone say, "He is a big guy"..

I remained active, for the next 4 years, just not in active shape...Would play softball and get routine triples, but would look like I was going to have a heart attack upon sliding safely into third. The career kept rising and yes so did the weight.

A daughter would arrive in 2005, but still the drive to be better physically always was out of my grasp. I was finding success in all that I did, just not when it came to my own health. Was put on Cholesterol medicine, dislocated a shoulder, yep I contribute that as well to being overweight. When you fall on a trail and grab a rope to keep from falling...and your body goes one way and the arm goes the other..I blame weight..

Then finally in January of 2007, I found out that I was having a son...and for some reason the biggest fear I have ever felt overwhelmed me..I did not want to die. I was sick of sitting on the airplane and sweating. Sick of not being able to carry my daughter on my shoulders because my double chin was making it hard ot breathe. Sick of making fat jokes about myself, because at that time, thats what I did.

So the day after the SuperBowl, I started my journey....and now here we are...1 marathon, and a few half-marathons later, I am still fighting the battle that will always be there to fight.

and this will be my continued journey. So why am I doing this blog...I know for a fact that I am not alone in my struggles and challenges with my weight, and my vision of who I am on the outside. This blog will hopefully serve some as a motivator and others just as the usual entertainment that my writing hopefully has given to those over the past few years...

This blog will be focused on my workouts and what gets me through it. For updates on my family, you will still need to go to the masterpiece that my wife has created.

http://www.kasparekfamily.blogspot.com/

Enjoy the Blog, and most of all Enjoy Life...