Making Time For Fitness

Guest blogger: Tim Grizzell, former Navy SEAL

In order to successfully do their missions, U.S. Navy SEALs rely heavily on their gear to work properly. When I was a young frogman just starting out in the SEAL teams, an old, experienced SEAL said to me, “Take care of your gear and your gear will take care of you!” The last thing a SEAL wants to happen when he is deep behind enemy lines or when he is freefalling from 18,000 feet, is for his gear to breakdown.

The same applies with your body. Take care of your body and your body will take care of you! You should treat your body like SEAL team gear because your body is your most important asset. The last thing you want to happen when you are being pulled in many directions at work or at home is for your body to fail. In order to have a healthy body, there are many things you must do, but a very important item is to make time for fitness. It amazes me that some individuals carve out more time to take care of their automobiles than they do to take care of their bodies.

Finding time for fitness is easier said than done. Trust me. I know. My wife works full time and is part-owner of a business. We have three children ages five, four and two. I am starting a new business venture in sports apparel. We both volunteer our time outside of work and family in various local community projects and non-profit work. Yet we still get creative and make time for fitness because our bodies feel great after exercise. It is the core of our success. I will be honest. Our fitness workout plans do not always get executed exactly as planned. We do miss workouts from time-to-time.

Every January there are a number of individuals who start out the New Year with lofty physical fitness goals, which is great if they can stay committed to those goals. Unfortunately, some individuals set fitness goals that are too high and it causes too much of a disruption in their daily schedules. They then “fall of the fitness wagon” and before you know it is back to “couch potato” status. “I cannot workout. It just takes too much time.”

My advice to you is to make small adjustments and be consistent. Look at your daily schedule and figure out where you can find 30 minutes to 1 hour a day for a workout. Try to workout at least 4 days a week. If it is less than 30 minutes a day, 4 times a week, so be it. One idea I have for you is to get up a little earlier. Getting out of bed an hour earlier than usual may be too much. A small adjustment would be getting up fifteen minutes earlier than you normally do. Another small adjustment is to be more efficient in other daily tasks to get another 15 to 30 minutes somewhere else. Stack both time slots together in a day and you just found the exercise time that I referenced above with little disruption to your daily routine.

One last piece of advice I have for you: If you miss a planned workout, do not let it get you down. Just move on and get fired up for the next one and try not to miss another one! That is consistency.

The bottom line is once you have a committed to a consistent fitness program, you more than likely will crave more because of the positive side effects on your body. You will then be amazed by how much time you set aside to take care of your body. If you can find time for fitness and be consistent at it, you will not have to put that item on future New Year’s resolution lists because you are already doing it. Most importantly, your body will take care of you because you are taking care of it!!

Stay Fired Up!!!!

I welcome any questions regarding my own personal training programs for running or any other general comments you might have.

Tim Grizzell

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Guest Blogger Tim Grizzell is a former U.S. Navy SEAL officer who led SEAL units in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. He is currently starting a running apparel company that will be officially launched in second quarter of this year. He has run numerous marathons and will be running the 2009 Los Angeles Marathon Memorial Day Weekend. Tim resides in San Marino, California with his wife and their three young children.

Tim met Alden when Alden had just graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training and he had just arrived to begin BUD/S training.

Training Tips for Easing Into Running

Guest blogger, Tim Grizzell, Former Navy SEAL

A few weeks ago, a Charlie Mike Teammate asked Tim for some advice: "How do I go from walking to running when walking feels great and running feels awkward to me?"

Hello Lisa:

I am fired up to hear that you did Rudy’s Navy SEAL challenge and got the experience of turning yourself into a “sugar cookie,” otherwise known as getting wet and sandy! Congratulations on finishing the Virginia Beach Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon. You only gave yourself less than a month’s notice and you did it. I like it. You obviously have a positive attitude that inspired you to do the event in the first place and carried you through the event. I like to refer to it as “FIRE IN THE GUT!”

I will begin by saying that you are on the right track to go from walking to running. You have completed athletic events where you did both walking and running. Also, making slight modifications to your diet is a more sustainable approach that will work in the long-term versus some extreme diet.

Given that running has not been part of your weekly exercise program for many years, you will want to ease into it. From a physical perspective, you need to condition your muscles, joints and tendons for running. The last thing you want is an overuse injury by jumping into it too quickly.

On the mental side of things, you do not want to lose your motivation and desire to run by doing too much at the beginning. I will say though that you are going to have to push yourself out of the comfort zone. You clearly like to walk. Walking is great exercise and that is what your mind knows. Right now for you, running is somewhat of a foreign exercise. Yet – running will not feel as awkward the more you do it.

In terms of training tips for easing into running, I suggest the following:

-After you have properly warmed up, run a quarter mile, walk a quarter mile, repeat. I would try to do this running program three days a week.

-Once you are comfortable with the above program for some weeks, I would try running a half mile, walk a quarter mile (or a half mile if you need it), and repeat.

-I would just keep doing this type of training until you have worked up to a program where you can run a mile without walking. Just try to continue to building from here and give yourself small victories.

-Eventually, running will not feel awkward and you will probably start to run and not want to stop.

I will finish by sharing some personal thoughts on running versus walking. When I am running, I am generally thinking about a number of things that have nothing to do with the environment around me. My mind tends to wander and I come up with a lot of creative ideas and thoughts. Also, I am an “endorphin junkie.” Walking, on the other hand, produces some different feelings. I tend to become more aware of the environment around me, especially if I am hiking in the mountains or along an ocean side cliff. Although my mind is free to wander when walking, it is not with the same intensity as running.

I would be happy to answer any more questions about running you might have as you get further into your running program.

Fired Up!

Tim

Teammates -- Tim Grizzell returns to Charlie Mike next month. Get Fired Up to train for a Marathon with Tim!

Marathon Training Program: Part II: A

CM SEAL Team blogger: Tim Grizzell

“I've not found any experience which bestows the high level of satisfaction, accomplishment and self-respect as one receives from finishing a marathon--at any speed.” – Jeff Galloway

I mentioned in Part I of my four part Completing a Marathon series that you need to determine which category that you fit in prior to choosing a marathon training program. The other factor to consider when selecting a program is your end goal. Some individuals just want to complete a marathon. Other people might have a time goal in mind. Your marathon goal, running experience and fitness level all play an integral role in how you train for this race.

Just as important as selecting the correct training program is ensuring that your mind and body are ready to begin your training. I would submit to you that you ideally should have a year of consistent running under your belt prior to entering into a marathon training program. At a minimum, I would recommend at least three months of pre-marathon training running. You need to be comfortable running 4 to 5 days a week with distances ranging from 3 to 6 miles. In spite of what I just told you, there are a number of individuals who throw this advice out the window. They begin their training on Day 1 of marathon training. I do not suggest you do this, but just telling you what reality is for some and it is completely doable – not recommended.

Secondly, you must be mentality prepared for the “commitment.” Look – all of us need to make time for fitness, right? You need to take care of your body and your body will take care of you. Staying committed to fitness is one thing. Staying committed to a marathon training program as it starts to ramp up in mileage is something different. Your body will undoubtedly want more rest than usual. Your body will demand that you fuel it correctly. Garbage in – Garbage out! It always amazes me when I hear people who are training for marathons say, “I can eat whatever I want.” Yes and no. Sure, you burn a lot of calories when you are training, which allows you to indulge. Yet – you do not want to make it a zero-sum game. You need to burn more calories than you take in so you will be as light as possible the day of the event. You want that powerful motor inside of you pushing the weight of a Ferrari chassis, not the weight of Sherman Tank – especially over 26.2 miles.

Another thing to take into account is the ability to garner support from your inner circle, especially those of you with families. One of the key components to marathon training is the weekly long run. It can take up to 3+ hours in the late stages of marathon training, and that is just the running part of it. Post-run stretching and recovery activities (i.e., re-hydrating, sleeping, etc.) can all take more time. In addition, as your weekly runs get longer you will have to carve out more time for these as well. In the end, you must wake up earlier. I recommend that you do all of your running in the mornings anyway. All marathons (at least the vast majority) start at “O-Dark-30” (i.e., Navy SEAL speak for “before the sun comes up”) so your body needs to be accustomed to early morning physical activity. The bottom line is that you want buy-in from your close supporters. You can get this support by minimizing the impact on your family’s daily routine. Early mornings (before anyone else in the house is awake) is a great time to train.

I would be happy to answer any questions about marathon training you might have as you get further into race preparation.

Monday: Training Programs Part II: B

Fired UP!

Tim
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Guest Blogger Tim Grizzell is a former U.S. Navy SEAL officer who led SEAL units in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. He is currently starting a running apparel company that will be officially launched in second quarter of this year. He has run numerous marathons. Tim resides in San Marino, California with his wife and their three young children.

Tim met Alden when Alden had just graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training and he had just arrived to begin BUD/S training.

Hit the Ground Running with LT. Tim Grizzell

CM Teammates! Last month I introduced you to my swim buddy, former Navy SEAL platoon commander and a damn good friend, LT. Tim Grizzell – aka Brotha Al. Tim has done SEAL tours on the west coast, the far east and in Europe; he was a top collegiate runner and he's an aspiring running apparel entrepreneur.

There's not much Tim doesn't know about the art and science of running -- as the Teammates who asked him questions discovered. CHARLIE MIKE is going to "re-run" three of his replies this week:

* Humans Were Born to Run
* Running in a Very Cold Climate
* Pushing Yourself Out of Your Comfort Zone: Going from Walking to Running

Tim will be back next month blogging on How He Trains for Marathons so hold on to your questions. Brotha Al, CHARLIE MIKE is Fired UP to have you on deck!

CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

Completing a Marathon: Introduction (Part I of IV)

CM SEAL Team blogger: Tim Grizzell

“Nothing is impossible if you try.” Paul Tergat, Marathon World Record Holder – 2003-2007

Hello Charlie Mike Teammates – I am back and I am fired up to talk to all of you about how to properly prepare yourselves to successfully complete a marathon. This is going to be a four-part series beginning with a brief introduction and some of my general thoughts regarding the marathon. Next week, I will discuss different training programs. The third week we will get into one of my favorite topics: running equipment (i.e., running apparel and running shoes). Finally, I will conclude by talking about the day of the marathon.

Now some of you might ask, “Why would I ever want to run a marathon?” Some history buffs who are runners might respond by saying that they want to experience the distance that the Greek soldier Pheidippides supposedly ran from the town of Marathon to Athens to announce the Persians had been defeated. Okay. I would respond by saying because it is a huge accomplishment and it will help you take care of your body.

How do you do it? As with most athletic endeavors of this magnitude, the short answer is that it just takes a lot of motivation (i.e., FIRE IN THE GUT), a lot of self-discipline and the ability to BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

“Who can run a marathon?” It is my belief that the vast majority of humans can run a marathon. I mentioned in a prior Charlie Mike post that I believe humans were born to run. We were given this gift at birth. So anyone can run a marathon if they put their mind to it. There are experienced runners out there who have completed marathons, there are experienced runners out there who have never participated in an event at this distance, there are athletes who participate in other sports other than running yet are in great shape, and there are some individuals who lead sedentary lifestyles for one reason or another. So, picking a training program will depend on which category you fall in. Clearly, an experienced runner will have an easier time transitioning into a marathon training program then someone who is not as experienced (NOTE: I will never say someone is non-runner because deep down everyone is a runner).

Prior to embarking on marathon journey, I believe that you should decide if it is necessary to get a physical examination from your doctor to make sure everything checks out okay. Running a marathon is a big deal and you want to make sure that your training is not going to aggravate a larger problem. This is good advice prior to beginning any significant physical activity. You have to keep in mind, though, that some doctors feel running is unhealthy even if you are in great shape. I have been told this by more than one doctor. Show me a doctor who says running is bad for you and I will show you a doctor who has never run!

Training for a marathon is something that should be taken very seriously. We are talking 26.2 miles, right? Therefore, anyone who sets a goal of competing and finishing a marathon must make sure that they are properly prepared prior to showing up to the starting line the morning of the event. You cannot just phone in the training. If you do, you will pay for it. I am speaking from experience. When getting ready for my first marathon event, I missed a lot of long runs in the second half of my four month training program. I could give all of you a bunch of excuses why, but you know the saying. As a result, my performance suffered and my body took some weeks to recover. Yet – in the end, my experience from this marathon reinforced one simple fact – be consistent in your training.

Next week we will discuss different training programs. Stay tuned…

Fired Up!

Tim
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Guest Blogger Tim Grizzell is a former U.S. Navy SEAL officer who led SEAL units in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. He is currently starting a running apparel company that will be officially launched in second quarter of this year. He has run numerous marathons. Tim resides in San Marino, California with his wife and their three young children.

Tim met Alden when Alden had just graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training and he had just arrived to begin BUD/S training.

L.T. Tim Grizzell will be on deck tomorrow!

CM Teammates! I’m Fired UP to introduce a swim buddy, former Navy SEAL platoon commander and a damn good friend, LT. Tim Grizzell – aka Brotha Al. Tim has done SEAL tours on the west coast, the far east and in Europe; he was a top collegiate runner and he's an aspiring running apparel entrepreneur.

Tim gets the inner meaning of CHARLIE MIKE and I’m thrilled he’s signed up to share a few inspirational thoughts on how you can take control of your body. Feel free to fire questions his way!

CHARLIE MIKE – ALDEN

Form Follows Function: Running Equipment and Clothes

CM SEAL Team Blogger: Tim Grizzell

Completing a Marathon: III(b) Running Equipment: CLOTHES

“It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic,
Of all things physical and metaphysical,
Of all things human and all things super-human,
Of all true manifestations of the head,
Of the heart, of the soul,
That the life is recognizable in its expression,
That form ever follows function. This is the law.”

Author, Louis Sullivan - Great American Architect

No question – clothing design and aesthetics often play a key role selecting running apparel. We all want our running clothing to perform, but we all want our clothes to look good on us while we are performing. Right? I get it – I am starting a running apparel company. Yet – I subscribe to the theory that form follows function and that running apparel design should be based on its intended function or use. In this post, I am going to focus on function because clothing design is a personal preference. Look at women’s options for running shorts these days. There are skorts (shorts with a flap of fabric in front designed to look like a skirt), “buns,” tights, regular old running shorts and a number of other options. Some women swear by skorts. My wife who was also a middle distance runner growing up would not be caught dead in a skort. Like I said, design is a personal preference!

So, let us discuss function (NOTE: I am going to focus mostly on the base running layer in this post). When you run, the most important function of your clothing is to stabilize your core body temperature because you will ultimately be more efficient, more comfortable and perform better. Decreasing or increasing your core body temperature to extremes is not good for your health. When running in hot weather, you want clothing that promotes heat loss. When running in cold weather, you want clothing that prevents heat loss.

How does this work? The function of clothing is to trap a thin layer of air between your skin and the fabric of the garment. The thin layer of air will match the temperature of the body. Since air is a poor conductor of heat, it will act as a layer of insulation.

Light, thin, porous fabrics will circulate air more quickly in between your body and the fabric (promoting heat loss) as where heavier fabrics, less porous fabrics obviously will have the opposite effect (preventing heat loss). Regardless of the fabric’s thickness, it needs to allow for breathing and it must allow for sweat evaporation (the ability of the fabric to move sweat from the skin to the outside of the fabric where it can evaporate). The ability to promote heat loss or prevent heat loss relies on your garment’s ability to keep the area between your skin and the inside of the fabric as dry as possible. When you run, your clothes are bound to have a certain amount of sweat on them. You just want a high rate of sweat evaporation. Some fabrics do this better than others.

You have to also consider the elements (i.e., wind, rain, snow) and how they play an integral role in what to wear. Most of the discussion here is focused on the base layer. Yet -- it does not matter how well that base layer can move moisture away from your skin if you are running in a downpour. The fabric will not be able to keep up. If it is windy outside, the effective temperature will decrease. The bottom line is that you will need to think about a second (protective) layer if the elements are strong enough.

In today’s market place, there is a lot of clothing made from performance fabrics (e.g., polyester, wool, performance cotton). Most of these fabrics get their performance capabilities from a chemical finish. Chemical finishes wear off after multiple washes and then you ultimately will lose the performance capability of your garment. In addition, they are not as effective as new technology whereby the performance capability is hardwired into the fiber of the fabric. I recommend that you search out garments made from this type of fabric because they will last longer. More to follow on this topic at a later date.

I would like to close by discussing compression clothing. Although it is not a new concept, compression clothing has garnered a lot of attention lately in areas outside of football and other team sports. The main area that you see it in running is in shorts and socks. The two main benefits of compression clothing are the following:

-Larger muscle groups move a lot when in motion and compression lessens this movement. Less movement, less energy expenditure.

-Compression increases blood flow in the body. More blood flow means more oxygen going to the muscles, which makes the body perform better and ultimately more efficient. More blood flow also helps muscles recover quicker.

I am sure that some of you might have some more specific questions for me.

Go ahead…fire away!

Tim
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CM SEAL Team blogger Tim Grizzell is a former U.S. Navy SEAL officer who led SEAL units in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. He is currently starting a running apparel company that will be officially launched in second quarter of this year. He has run numerous marathons. Tim resides in San Marino, California with his wife and their three young children.

Tim met Alden when Alden had just graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training and he had just arrived to begin BUD/S training.

Fire in the Gut: Tim Grizzell Update

CHARLIE MIKE Teammates - I just wanted to provide all of you with an October update on the status of Fire in the Gut – Innovative Performance Shirts for Athletes with a Warrior Attitude (www.fireinthegut.com). We were supposed to go live last month in September. As I mentioned previously, not everything always executes as planned. We have had some unforeseen productions issues that caused a slight delay.

The formal launch of the company will be in the next few weeks. A newsletter for all of you is forthcoming – you can sign up at my website. I recently activated a Twitter Account (www.twitter.com/timgrizzell) where you can track live updates on the launch.

Also, here is a sneak peek of the men’s crew neck short sleeve shirt. I am fired up and I look forward to sharing the new products with you soon.

Tim Grizzell

P.S. Alden--Congratulations on CHARLIE MIKE reaching the 2-year mark--you are truly helping others unlock their potential! Fired up for you brother! Tim

Get Ready to Run a Race in 2010!

Teammates, Perfect Fitness is a sponsor of the Presidio10, a 10 mile/10k run across the Golden Gate Bridge (the picture above is from last year's race). Please join Team Perfect as we storm the Golden Gate! Mark your calendars: 18th April 2010!

Perhaps some of you are looking to RUN your first race! I'm going to re-run a blog from running expert and entrepreneur, Mr. Fire in the Gut himself, Tim Grizzell on how to segue from walking to running.

Start with a positive attitude! That is what will inspire you to sign up for a race in the first place and it will carry you across the finish line. I like to refer to it as “FIRE IN THE GUT!”

If running has not been part of your weekly exercise program for many years, you will want to ease into it. From a physical perspective, you need to condition your muscles, joints and tendons for running. The last thing you want is an overuse injury by jumping into it too quickly.

On the mental side of things, you do not want to lose your motivation and desire to run by doing too much at the beginning. I will say though that you are going to have to push yourself out of the comfort zone. Walking is great exercise and for walkers/hikers, running is somewhat of a foreign exercise. Yet – running will not feel as awkward the more you do it.

In terms of training tips for easing into running:

-After you have properly warmed up, run a quarter mile, walk a quarter mile, repeat. I would try to do this running program three days a week.

-Once you are comfortable with the above program for some weeks, I would try running a half mile, walk a quarter mile (or a half mile if you need it), and repeat.

-I would just keep doing this type of training until you have worked up to a program where you can run a mile without walking. Just try to continue to building from here and give yourself small victories.

-Eventually, running will not feel awkward and you will probably start to run and not want to stop.

I will finish by sharing some personal thoughts on running versus walking. When I am running, I am generally thinking about a number of things that have nothing to do with the environment around me. My mind tends to wander and I come up with a lot of creative ideas and thoughts. Also, I am an “endorphin junkie.” Walking, on the other hand, produces some different feelings. I tend to become more aware of the environment around me, especially if I am hiking in the mountains or along an ocean side cliff. Although my mind is free to wander when walking, it is not with the same intensity as running.

Fired Up!

Tim

Teammates -- follow Tim Grizzell on Twitter @timgrizzell or check out his website, Fire in the Gut. Some of Team Perfect will be running across the Presidio10 finish line wearing Fire in the Gut apparel!

CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

Marathon Training Program: Part II: B

CM SEAL Team blogger: Tim Grizzell

There are a number of marathon training programs that you can follow. I have written my own. I have trained under Hal Higdon’s programs and Jeff Galloway’s programs. The main difference between Hal Higdon’s program and Jeff Galloway’s program is that Jeff Galloway promotes a run-walk-run method during the long distance runs (i.e., run 2 minutes, walk 1 minute – this varies depending on your pace) that he considers injury free training. Hal Higdon only suggests walking if necessary and at aid stations. I personally did not like all the “starting and stopping” associated with the Galloway program. However, the Galloway program is a proven program. If I were to personally recommend it to anyone, it would be a true beginner. Keep in mind though, Galloway has had followers post times below 2 hours and 30 minutes using his method.

Most training programs consist of the following type of training:

-Running 3-7 days a week depending on what category you fit in.
-Non-running days incorporate rest and/or an alternate form of exercise
-A long run ranging in distance from 10-20 miles that is normally run at a pace slightly slower than your marathon pace (i.e., 1-2 minutes per mile slower). Usually, most runners complete this on a Saturday or Sunday when they have the most time.
-Mid-week runs generally range from 3-8 miles.

A typical week would look something like this. Please keep in mind that these are average distances. A beginner will run less and an experienced runner might put in more miles each week.

Monday – Rest/Alternate form of exercise
Tuesday – Shorter Run (3-5 miles) and/or Alternate form of exercise
Wednesday – Mid-Distance Run (5-8 miles)
Thursday – Shorter Run and/or Speed Work (3-5 miles)
Friday – Rest/Alternate form of exercise
Saturday – Mid-Distance Run (5-8 miles)
Sunday – Long Distance Run (10-20 miles)

You can move these workouts around to fit your schedule. The most important workout of the week for this training is the weekly long distance run. In addition to the long run, I recommend at a minimum that you do not miss the two mid-distance runs. I suggest that you do not miss any runs at all. If you have to miss some, I would cut out the short ones.

Just remember that there is no substitute for running. If you do not run consistently, you will be breathing like a lung-shot caribou the day of the marathon and potentially putting your health at risk. I said this once before and I will say it again. You cannot phone in the training.

Alternate forms of exercise are very important. The first couple days after the long run it is good to inject some low-impact exercise into your weekly schedule, such as cycling and swimming. Do not forget to continue your strength training (i.e., Perfect Pushups, Perfect Pullups and working your abs).

There is a lot of ground to cover when it comes to training for a marathon. I believe that I have given you a very thorough overview, but I am sure you all have some questions. So – go ahead and fire away.

Next week, I will be discussing one of my favorite topics – running apparel and shoes. Hoo Yah!!

Fired Up!

Tim

CHARLIE MIKE SITREP: May 2009

Teammates – Check out our SITREP (Situation Report) for May - highlighting the depth and breadth of the CM SEAL Team bloggers. Click on their names to read more.


CM SEAL Team blogger: Mike Ryan
Title: Secret Weapon #1
"Cowards never got started and the weak died along the way. Truer words were never spoken. The first time I read this quote I was standing at parade-rest waiting to begin my first day of SEAL training. The words were carved into a wooden bench that stood just inside the doors of the Naval Special Warfare Center. At my feet, just in front of the bench, stood a perfect line of about 30 helmets - the last remnants of students who had reached their mental and physical limits and quit training. Predictably, my initial reaction was a mix of skepticism and sarcasm. “Yea” I thought, “that’s a little bit over-the-top.” About twenty minutes later I realized my worst nightmare had just begun.



CM SEAL Team blogger: Tom Rancich
Title: A Debt of Memory to Brothers and Sisters, Gratefully Paid
Memorial Day has always had an identity crisis. Even in the very beginning, it was only for Union soldiers, not merging all "Decoration Day" activities until after World War One. In 1971, Memorial Day became the last Monday in May instead of May 30. This move, designed to create a three-day weekend, irritated many by adding to the day an air of celebration instead of reflection: picnics, parades, ballgames, sales -- the start of the summer party. That doesn't bother me: somewhere in the 1.5 million soldiers remembered every Memorial Day there is certainly someone who would have really enjoyed another picnic, parade, ball game or day shopping. Some of those sacrificed would have liked one more party or one more prayer. It's all good.

CM SEAL Team blogger: Marcus Colburn
Title: MMA Fighters: Modern Day Gladiators
They entered the ring to the sound of rap, rock, old-school hip-hop, reggae, and even country-and-western, but the one thing every fighter at Saturday’s UFC (mixed martial arts fighting) event had in common was a powerful athletic physique built from metabolic resistance training. These modern-day warriors know better than to do bodybuilding, because those workouts just take too long and leave you puffed up, slow, and inflexible. That’s not how modern man should be – or look.



CM SEAL Team blogger: Stew Smith
Title: Stew Smith's Bodyweight Exercise Plan: Part I
Calisthenics, or bodyweight exercises, originated thousands of years ago in ancient Greece and have been a major component of fitness in athletics, military, law enforcement, and daily fitness for home workouts without equipment. Here is a request from a Perfect Pushup user in our YouTube group seeking to do more exercises without having to go to a gym.

"I need help in making a full body bodyweight routine. Any advice/sample that you can offer? I am seventeen and have been using the Perfect Pushup on and off for a year now."
CM SEAL Team blogger: Tim Grizzell
Title: Completing a Marathon: IV (a): The TAPER
Hello Charlie Mike teammates – I was initially going to cover just the day of the race in the final post of my marathon series. After reviewing a previous answer to CM teammate, Joe G., regarding tapering, it was suggested that I should cover this topic and break up the blog up into two parts: tapering and the day of the race. It was a great idea!

Tapering is very important if you want to post a good marathon time. It gives your body the opportunity to recover from all of the hard training you put in leading up to the race. You can replenish energy, rejuvenate muscles and possibly kick any nagging injuries you might have up to this point.

Teammates -- Mike, Tom, Marcus, Stew, Tim, Sav -- all of them get the meaning of CHARLIE MIKE -- that it's "An Attitude of Action" and they're preaching what they practice. Drop on Down and Get Fired UP for pushing out and pulling up after you read what my Teammates have to say.

CHARLIE MIKE – ALDEN

"Fair Winds and Following Seas" Memorial Day 2009

“We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.”
George Orwell

Guest blogger: CM SEAL blogger: Tim Grizzell

It is now that time of year again. Summer will be officially “kicked off” after this weekend and the season always seems like it is gone in the blink of an eye.

More importantly, Monday is Memorial Day – a day of remembrance and a day of emotion for this is the day we honor all of the men and women who have died while in military service. I served in the United States Navy SEAL teams for seven years and defended my country. I was proud and excited to protect the rights and freedom that we all enjoy here living in the best country on the planet, the United States of America. I am so patriotic that the hair on the back of my neck still stands up every time I hear the Star Spangled Banner. It gets me fired up! I consider myself lucky and fortunate though that I did not have to give the ultimate sacrifice – my life.

I am married to the most beautiful and wonderful woman in the world. I am fortunate to have a healthy “fire team” of two boys and girl who I get to raise. I live in a beautiful neighborhood. I have the opportunity to chase my dreams and live life to the fullest.

What is great about our country is that it does not matter what your background is or where you come from – you have opportunity. The world is at your fingertips. We have this great opportunity because of all the men and women who made that ultimate sacrifice.

So, this weekend we all need to take a moment and honor all the fallen sailors and soldiers and all those who have served. This is a time to be with friends and family. It is a time to be thankful. It is also a time to think about what is important in life! I can tell you right now that it has nothing to do with green paper.

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!! Hoo Yah!!

Fair winds and following seas…

Tim

RACE DAY: Completing a Marathon: IV (B)

“Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Steve Prefontaine, American running legend

CM SEAL Team blogger: Tim Grizzell

Marathon race day is a big deal. You have prepared for many weeks/months to reach this point. If you are a first-timer, you are probably wondering about the unknown. If you are an experienced marathoner, you are probably hopeful that you can post a personal best and that you do not have any injuries. Regardless of what category you fall in, none of you slept well the night before (at least the majority of you). Anxiety fills the room you sleep in. All your thoughts the night before are about the race and you worry that you will sleep through the alarm.

Mental aspect aside, it is very important that you prepare yourself properly the day of the race. A lot of marathons begin in the early morning (for good reason) and the temperatures can be quite low. Therefore, you will want to layer some clothes over your base running outfit. Some marathon participants even start shedding external layers in the early miles of the race (i.e., throwing these clothes off to the side of the road). Most marathons donate these clothes to a great cause. Nevertheless, the purpose of layering these clothes is to ensure that your body stays warm prior to the race starting.

A big challenge in the race will be getting all of your muscles warmed up prior to starting the event. If you do not, you risk injury. I have seen a lot of runners in the first five miles of a marathon injure themselves by pulling a muscle or straining a tendon. More than likely, this is the result of not warming up properly before the start of the race. The last thing you want is to have a “DNF (Did Not Finish)” next to your name after all of that hard training you put in leading up to the marathon.

Another factor to consider is what type of fuel to put in your body before and during the marathon. You need to put something in your belly before you start. A light pancake breakfast is a great to start off your morning. For my wife, it is a power bar and banana. Secondly, if you have trained with one fuel during long runs, stick with it. For example, if you train with Jelly Belly sport beans, you might have to pack them during the race. Things to think about!

The gun has gone off and you are running. Remember – you want to run a negative split (i.e., your second half marathon is faster than the first half marathon). Be careful at the beginning. Assuming you are not stuck in “traffic,” it is easy to run some of the early miles 30 seconds to a minute faster than your body can handle. In the late stages of the race, this will catch up with you and most likely, you will pay for this. You want to conserve enough energy to get through the tough section of the race – miles 21 to 25. This is the section where you start to see runners digging deep. Anyone can run the last 1.2 miles. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Regarding aid stations and whether you walk or run through them, do what is most comfortable. I personally walk long enough to drink what is in my cup and then start running again. If I try to run through them, I invariably end up spilling gatorade all over myself.

Although I covered a lot, I am sure there are questions. Please send them my way.

Fired up!

Tim

One final note: I will be back sometime in July. I have lot to do right now. As some of you know, I am starting a running apparel company. Official launch date is August 31, 2009. T minus 75 days!

Completing a Marathon: IV (a): The TAPER

CM SEAL Team blogger: Tim Grizzell

Hello Charlie Mike teammates – I was initially going to cover just the day of the race in the final post of my marathon series. After reviewing a previous answer to CM teammate, Joe G., regarding tapering, it was suggested that I should cover this topic and break up the blog up into two parts: tapering and the day of the race. It was a great idea!

Tapering is very important if you want to post a good marathon time. It gives your body the opportunity to recover from all of the hard training you put in leading up to the race. You can replenish energy, rejuvenate muscles and possibly kick any nagging injuries you might have up to this point.

The tapering rule of thumb is the longer the race – the longer the taper and the more important it becomes. This is especially true for distances marathon and above (3 weeks). For shorter distances, the taper generally starts about 1-2 weeks out.

The two categories of concern when discussing tapering are volume of training and intensity of training. I will talk about volume of training first. When starting a 3-week taper, you can either do a measured stepped reduction in volume over the entire period or a major reduction in volume at first (50% in the first week) followed by smaller reductions over the remaining taper period. In my opinion, the latter is most effective.

When it comes to intensity of training in the taper period, you still need to run at race pace (just not as far) at least one day a week leading up to the event. Although you will be reducing your volume, you should not being running all your runs during the taper at a slow pace leading up to the marathon. Your muscles will not be ready race day if you cut back too much on both volume and intensity.

I would also suggest that you do not change your daily routine/habits (e.g., sleep and diet) too much leading up to the event. Keep doing what you have been doing. It will be a shock to your body otherwise. The one area that you really should watch is your calorie intake. Since you will not be training as hard, you might put on an extra pound or two if you are not careful. The bottom line is that you should eat healthy foods and hydrate regularly.

Fired up and ready for your questions!

Tim

FYI Teammates --
Here's a link to Runner's World -- I do not follow every single blog, but I do check out a lot of them on a regular basis.

Completing a Marathon: Choosing Shoes

CM SEAL Team blogger: Tim Grizzell

Completing a Marathon: III(a) Running Equipment: SHOES

It is now time to discuss one of my favorite topics – running equipment. I am very passionate about this subject. As some of you might know from my first post on CHARLIE MIKE, I am currently in the process of starting a running apparel company. I have been working on this venture for over a year now and I am fired up about it. The company has now entered a new phase and I am about to go into production for part of the clothing line. I will keep you posted on my progress.

My discussion about running equipment is going to be broken up into a couple posts on CHARLIE MIKE. In the first half, I will first talk about different types of running shoes and how important it is to be properly fitted in the right shoe. The second half will cover running apparel. We could also discuss accessories (e.g., hydration devices, injury-related devices, etc.), but we will save all of this for another post down the road.

Choosing the appropriate shoe in today’s market where there is such a large selection can be overwhelming. Yet – if you want to complete a marathon or even want to run injury free, it is vitally important that you select the best shoe for your body structure and the type of training you do.

Now you ask – where do I start? Prior to starting your running shoe research, I would suggest that you become aware of the different aspects of your body structure. The primary categories that you need to think about are your foot mechanics, your body frame, your arch type, and any injuries you might have.

In terms of foot mechanics, you want to figure out whether your foot rolls inward (over-pronates), rolls outward (under-pronates), or is neutral. You can figure this out by having someone watch your ankles and feet when you walk away from them. Most good specialty running shoe stores will do this analysis for you. It is very important to understand what category you fall in. For example, a person who over-pronates and wears a shoe a designed for neutral runner will most likely get shin splints. Your body frame clearly has an impact on your decision. If you are a big guy, you do not want to buy a shoe that was designed for a Chihuahua. You need a shoe that has some cushioning in the midsole. A high arch, medium arch and low arch are all major factors. So, you will want a shoe that is designed for your arch type. Also, if you have any injuries like bunions or plantar fasciitis, you will want to make sure that you have a shoe that will accommodate these injuries.

Besides body structure, the weekly mileage you put in and the type of terrain that you will be training on all play a vital role in the selection of a shoe. In my opinion, most runners will need a little stability control in their shoes. It is just a matter of how much you stability you will need.

After your body structure self-awareness is complete, the next step is going to your local sports store (assuming you do not live in some remote area) to try and find a shoe that matches your body structure and is designed for the type of training you do. If you have access to one, I suggest that you go to a specialty running shoe store because they generally (not always) have more running shoe expertise than a large sporting goods store.

Once you start trying on shoes that might fit the bill, here are some important rules to keep in mind.

Shoe Size: Your foot swells about a half size during running so you want to buy shoes slightly larger than your normal shoe size (maybe one-half to one size larger). The rule of thumb is that you should be able to fit the width of your index finger between the longest toe and the front end of the running shoe.

Toe Box: Your toes need freedom of movement. Make sure that you can wiggle them up and down in the toe box.

Initial Comfort Level: The shoe must feel great the first time you try it on. Anyone who tells you that the shoe will feel more comfortable over time either (a) does not know what they are talking about or (b) is trying to move a certain shoe out of inventory.

Heel Slippage: Make sure the heel does not slip. Can you say blisters?

I will leave you with a great quote from a CM teammate (that would be Joe G.) back in January in response to one of my posts, “A higher price does not mean a better shoe. Just like wine. Just like a lot of things, come to think of it.”

Fired Up and Standing By to answer your questions!

Tim

In Memoriam and In Celebration

CM Teammates: Great news – a three day weekend that kicks off summer is here! Weather’s getting warmer, days are getting longer and we get an extra day to enjoy it all…that’s the basic meaning of Memorial Day to most Americans – and that’s great – it’s what liberty enables us to do – celebrate! Just a little reminder that ye ole “Decorating Day” as they used to call it in the military – pertaining to decorating the graves of our fallen veteran brethren – has a special meaning to all those who have served and to family and friends of those who have served.

I remember being deployed to Bosnia in 1997 and celebrating Memorial Day “in the field”. An Army Colonel in the Special Forces (Green Berets) met with us to recount and extoll the stories of those who had gone before us and had paid the ultimate sacrifice for our great country. As we prepared for our mission, he reminded us that very few Americans have the privilege of serving our country let alone being the position to defend it. That not only do we have to act with honor on the field for those that have done so before us but also remember that there is another generation counting on us. Then he read us a note from child of a school that had been selected as our sponsor school while we were deployed – her note was simple and sweet, “Thank you for keeping me and my family safe – we love you.” She had added a couple of crayon pictures depicting hearts, sunshine, and her family. To an outsider that may not seem like much, but to those of us who were deployed (and especially those of us who were fathers at the time – I was not one of them) – it meant a whole helluva lot coming from someone we had never met nor probably would ever meet.

My point – have an Awesome Memorial Day and as you do, take a moment to thank a veteran in any way you can – from sending an e-mail to stopping by a national cemetery to greeting a Vet on the street – the simplest things in life often have the biggest impacts, and saying thanks to Vet can mean more than you can imagine.

Happy Memorial Day – GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS and, of course,
CHARLIE MIKE! ALDEN

N.B. Teammates, CM SEAL bloggers Tim Grizzell and Tom Rancich, two fellow veterans, will be sharing their Memorial Day reflections this weekend as well.

Team Perfect Storms the Golden Gate

TGIF CM Teammates!

Last Sunday Team Perfect showed up in force for the presidio 10 -- a 10 mile/10k run benefiting local charities. We ran across the Golden Gate Bridge, we volunteered, and we got folks Fired UP to push out some Perfect Pushups!



CM SEAL Team blogger Tim Grizzell said it best about the Art of Running: "Runners come in all shapes and sizes carrying varying loads, which is proven every time I run a marathon or some other distance. We are all born to run."

HOOYAH Team Perfect!

CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

CHARLIE MIKE SITREP: April 2009

Teammates – Check out our SITREP (Situation Report) for April: highlighting some of our new bloggers, topics and features.

1. Meet Tara Llanes, our first Athlete Ambassador.

2. TGIF: PERFECT in the Workplace – our newest CM SEAL Team member, my buddy “Sav” Saviano, kicked off this new weekly feature.

3. Marathon Mojo – from training to clothing – continues with Tim Grizzell, SEAL Team blogger.

4. Stew Smith’s Strength in Diversity series ended with “Too Short to be a SEAL” – look for Stew’s YouTube/workout coming up soon – swimming and the Perfect Pushup.

5. Perfect Products – designer Gray Holland took us behind the scenes with the development of the Perfect Counter and we unveiled the Perfect Dip bar.

6. CM congratulated the SEALs who saved the day last month and celebrated National Parks Founder Teddy Roosevelt.

7. If you haven’t joined Perfect Fitness, the perfect place to hang out with other fitness fans, what are you waiting for?

Give me your feedback: positive – negative – topics you’d like more of/less of – post your comments here!

CHARLIE MIKE – ALDEN

Thank you Veterans!

I would just like to say thank you for your service to all of our veterans. To all of you still on active duty, thank you for keeping our country safe. God bless the United States of America!
CM SEAL Team blogger: Tim Grizzell

Alden, love this quote: If a man does only what is required of him, he is a slave, the moment he does more, he is a free man. Think about it, free men end up finding each other! They are truly "PERFECT"ly free men. Carpe Diem!
CM SEAL Team blogger: Marcus Colburn

CM SEAL Team Summer Reading List

Marcus Colburn
1ST of all, of course, The Green Room: A Mother’s Truth by Liliane Colburn (my mom!). STRANGER THAN FICTION! Stephen King even wrote a review at Barnes & Noble about how it would be one of his classic tales if it wasn't true. All about some Navy SEAL & where he got his mojo from: www.mojofrog.com. You can get it there! But of course I'm a little biased!
2nd The Tao of Jeet Kune Do. Unbelievably easy book to follow + lots of pictures: www.brucelee.com or www.jeetkunedo.com.

Alden Mills
Non-fiction: Lone Survivor - by Marcus Luttrell - the best Spec-ops (let alone SEAL) survival mission I've ever heard about.
Fiction: The Increment - by David Ignatius – a fantastic and plausible fiction story regarding Iran's nuke program and a joint CIA/MI6-SIS covert op to penetrate it. Written by a journalist who has covered these agencies and the Middle East - very knowledgeable writer (also wrote Body of Lies which was made into a movie last year).

Tim Grizzell
Non-fiction - STRIDES: Running through History with an Unlikely Athlete by Benjamin Cheever - Great book about the history running and funny too!
Fiction - Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. Seuss - I read it to my children at least once a month if not more. Trust me -- it is not just a children's book!

Tom Rancich
Non-fiction: Commandos by Doug Waller -- It was the biggest event of my life up to that moment, I was 10 years older than the class average, nervous etc etc, and then Captain Richards brings me into the office on Sunday and "Introduces me" to Doug and informs me that I am to make sure he gets what he needs and doesn't get hurt---so I reply, "Sir, I have a few other things on my mind" to which Richards replies, "Yeah well now you have another, get the hell out of my office." The biggest way that Doug affected my experience is that I have a near minute to minute chronicle of my Hellweek----I absolutely recommend the book for someone wanting to be a SEAL and do so frequently---(Brave Men Dark Waters by Orr Kelly is the other must read IMHO). I will refer to myself as a former or retired SEAL depending on who I am talking to---I don't worry about any risk---well, unless I am in a bar and well---lots of people want to see just how tough a SEAL is, which, frankly, I am not, without sig, M-4, cold steel and preferably aircraft over head.
Fiction: A book that most affected me was The Bridge of San Luis Ray by Thornton Wilder -- how do we wind up at a place with another at a moment of importance?

Mike Ryan
My summer reading recommendation is Blood and Thunder - the epic story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West. From the author of Ghost Soldiers (Hampton Sides). A fantastic book. One of the most riveting historical fiction books I've read. Up there with the Killer Angels (by Michael Shaara). If you are even remotely interested in the formative years of American History or the American West - this will knock your socks off. A first hand account of Indian culture and the conquest of California.

Stew Smith
Non-fiction:
Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell – Awesome. Best one to date for me.
SEAL TEAM ONE – by Dick Couch - my first SEAL book - loved it.

Fiction: Without Remorse by Tom Clancy – OK, not real – entertaining though.