King Pigeon - Day 3

Day 3 - It pays to plan ahead. Know what was on tap for today made for a very productive day. Up and at em 530am-ish, Silent reflection/meditation, 6am circuit workout, all the rest of my duties for the day, plus guitar lesson with A and B. Then the best part Yoga at 8pm-ish(Sorry Meredith and class)!!

Today's circuit work out was:

Standard Push Ups - 20

Crunches - 30

Squats with 10lb medicine ball extended - 20

Standing twist with med. ball extended - 10/side

Decline push up(feet raised about 18 inches) - 15

Challenge exercise:

External Hip Rotation w/ side plank - 3 per side
http://www.outsideonline.com/templates/ipad_video_player?id=247085821#ooid=AwMGd1azq8B15jA-iCUX1ObER4Ti1Usb

Yoga was fantastic. I had been putting it off for a long time. Although I have gone many times in the past, the last bunch of times I went I did not feel good about my performance. A real bummer. Tonight I felt strong, and able to do many more moves PROPERLY!! There were two I could not do, which is something to reach for. My most proud moment when I was able to grab my foot for the King Pigeon Pose as shown before. Wicked!!!

A big thanks to Meredith G. and ALL(huge class) people at Yoga tonight! Woooooooooooooooooooooooo Hoooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!

Thanks!!
Johnny O.

P.M. - Day 2

I have to admit it was very hard to get up this morning. So I didn't lol. I just finished my exercises now at 830 p.m. Like before during the hike challenge, the time is less important than getting it done.

Today's work out was:

Standard Push Ups - 20

Crunches - 30

Squats with 10lb medicine ball extended - 20

Standing twist with med. ball extended - 10/side

Decline push up(feet raised about 18 inches) - 15

Challenge exercise:

External Hip Rotation w/ side plank - 3 per side
http://www.outsideonline.com/templates/ipad_video_player?id=247085821#ooid=AwMGd1azq8B15jA-iCUX1ObER4Ti1Usb

My goal right now is to increase the number of reps of time. Today I increased the number of decline push ups by 5 and the challenge exercise by 1 rep per side. I'll take it :-)

Tomorrow... the plan is to get up and do this circuit in the morning and then go to yoga in the evening.

See you tomorrow :-)

Johnny O.

Bodybuilding/Sculpting Challenge - Day 1

Hey friends :-) I had an awesome week off from my training and challenges. I did one hike during that time on the Signal Hill Trail in the night time. You know how much I love hiking in the dark...lol. For the most part I exercised my soul with good food, rest, good people, laughs, and even a few beers! A good time was had by all. Thanks to all who were involved :-)

Now it is time to get back to the challenges!!

As I mentioned before, this time it will be a body building/sculpting challenge. In preparation I have thought about how this challenge will play out. Unlike the previous hiking challenge, there is no set path to follow. All I have to go on is my past experience with trainers and my 3 year, 3 month relationship with established Gyms. What is that you might ask. Well I have identified a pattern in my life of every 3 years I get motivated to hit the gym and lose interest after 3 months. Which by the way is no coincidence that the challenges are only 60 days. So I am going to be using this challenge also as an experiment to figure out a few different styles of exercise that works for me. To start I I have decided to take a few old favorite exercises and create a quick circuit, then in a few weeks I plan to join a gym or established training program. Plus one day a week I will be joining a yoga class mainly for the stretching. Now that my rest period is over I will be back at the trails for at least one hike a week.

What's the goal you might ask? In the last challenge it was to complete the challenge. 60 days of the same task. The weight loss was a great motivator and was gravy for sure :-) For this challenge, it is a bit more personal. In my minds eye I have a picture of how I would like to look. All my life I have made half hearted attempts to get the ie - the 3 year 3 months. Now it is time to do it!! Like my friend Jim said, now that I got the weight lost it's time to get into the gym and cut that shit up!!

One of the the things I know about myself is that I always do best when I start out slow. So this morning I decided on a few tride and true exercises to get me started, and one challenge exercise. Here was my regiment for today:

Standard Push Ups - 20

Crunches - 30

Squats with 10lb medicine ball extended - 20

Standing twist with med. ball extended - 10/side

Decline push up(feet raised about 18 inches)

Challenge exercise:

External Hip Rotation w/ side plank - 2 per side
http://www.outsideonline.com/templates/ipad_video_player?id=247085821#ooid=AwMGd1azq8B15jA-iCUX1ObER4Ti1Usb

If anyone has any suggestions about what exercises work great for them, or what I should try differently, please let me know, also please remember this only day one ;-)

Thanks!
Johnny O.

P.s. - I also promised this would be a pictorial, pics coming soon!

Challenge accepted and completed - Day mother-f'n 6-0!!!

To be honest I understand that there are people who do this type of thing every day, 365 days in a row for years and years in a row. However life is all a matter of perspective, the meaning of any situation is only the one we give it. For me this challenge was a big deal. At a time of great uncertainty in my life it became something I could hold on to, to bring me some focus. When I first set out to do this I was out to prove my importance to other people. To gain peoples trust and to prove that I was as good as anyone else!

I don't know if accomplished that goal, but you know what I did do? I conquered my challenges, over came obstacle after obstacle, and began to inspire others to do the same. As the days went by one after another I started to realize that I did not need to prove myself to anyone, not even to myself. That my word is golden, but so what! Life is not a rigid time line it is flexible and bending. If I were to change my mind and stop so what, I am not any less of a person if I completed the 60 days or not. Created new habits in my life, or not. I am who I am and no outside task or accomplishment can truly prove that to another person or to even myself, or even change that. 

So why did I keep on going? Because as more and more people came to me with kind words, and offered their gratitude for their inspiration. I realized that this was a great opportunity to help people. Help lift people up by lifting myself up. That course of action is important to me!! There was never a doubt in my mind if I could hike up that mountain 60 days in a row. Actually I did it 61 times in total...lol

Thank you to all the people who supported me on this journey, thank you to all the people who saw me walking, read this blog, or saw my smile and were uplifted. Thank you for being the next ripple in this pond, thank you for taking action and in turn inspiring someone else!

So, I was asked earlier how I felt to finish this goal, the only reply I could come up with was peaceful... that peaceful feeling you get when you know you did a job well done :-)

Whats next? My plan is to take one week off, then I am going to start a 60 day body building/sculpting challenge, then after that a 60 day SCUBA Diving challenge. Please keep coming back and checking up on my progress. I will post daily blogs and pics to mark my progress. 

In closing this awesome chapter of my life, I encourage you to find something in your life to focus on for 60 days. Something you don't do now, or something you would like to do better. If it is fun, awesome, if it is not, fine. Just go do it, only you know what that challenge can be and why it will be important. Because at the end of the day only you can decide why your life has/will have meaning!

Thanks for tuning in,

Johnny O.

P.s. - See you in a week ;-)

Woooooooo Hoooooooo - Day 59

Only one more day!! Today's hike was beautiful. Sun was shining, the neighbors were out enjoying the day. What a life!

Woooooooo Hoooooooo! !!

Be the sword - Day 58

Well this is Thursday's blog written on good Friday....lol

To make up for the debacle of falling down so many times the previous night, Thursday, I hit the trail hard! During the day yesterday I was starved. I ate everything I could get my hands on. Including two teen burger COMBOS, root beer and all, from A&W. I guess my body wanted all those calories to regenerate and to give me the power to propel myself up the mountain with way more power and determination than usual.

Recently I explained to a good friend, that sometimes in life you have to be the sword. I was using at as a metaphor for not taking shit from people, but I guess it also means not to taking shit from life too. SOMETIMES.... when life or the mountain or people or yourself knock you down, sometimes you do get up with the most force and impact you have ever seen or felt in your life. Usually it surprises you when you do!

If you have war in your heart... be the sword if that is what you have to do. My suggestion is that you prepare youself for those moments ahead of time so you don't end up swording(made up word) the wrong thing/people!

Thanks and I hope you have a "GOOD" Friday,
Johnny O.

The magic number - Day 57

3 oh 3 its the magic number! Only three more days left :-)

Tonight I am up here on top of George Cove Mtn. At 943 pm. It reminds me of being in high school and college and going up Turkey Mountain with all my buddies! I wish you were ALL here with me now :-)

All the best!
Johnny O.

Four!! - Day 56

I think it was about 9 or 10 degrees Celsius at 630pm. You could feel and especially smell the the typical Newfoundland spring day. Many days I power up and down with few breaks. Today I enjoyed a good 5+ Minutes on the top just taking it all in. As Deepak says, communing with nature. It helped me ease into an even better mood. I am a little embarrassed to say.... I was almost skipping at some points on the way home and singing song from my ipod. I must have looked pretty happy because the drivers of at least 4 cars all waved at me. Total strangers. Plus a great synchronicity. ... I have been eyeballing Dodge Ram 1500s and they were every other car tonight!!! Maybe one is in my future ;-)

Ok gang thanks for tuning in,
Johnny O.

5 more - Day 55

I can't believe it was snowing and freezing rain during todays hike! I thought that was all behind us...lol

Had a great hike all the same... just put back on some of those layers.

Happy Monday!!
Johnny O.

Six more - Day 54

It is a beautiful eveming up on top of George Cove Mtn! Spring is certa I nly ib the air. The smell of change.  New beginnings. Summer right around the corner. It certainly is great to be alive :-)

Thanks everyone!
Johnny O.

Se7en More - Day 53

Woooooooo hooooooooo 7 more days. I have to say, hiking in the rain isn't as bad as I thought it would be!

Trails still have some snow and some ice. The fog was stellar. Great views today! If you looked at one spot from the top, then looked away, by the time you looked back it was a whole new scene. It's all good!!!

Thanks for tuning in,
Johnny O.

Eight More - Day 52

A nice Friday evening hike here in Holyrood! Only one more week. This time next week I will be on the final day of the 60 Day Challenge. To quote the Grateful Dead... "What a long strange trip it's been"

Thanks!

Johnny O.

Nine more - Day 51

Another great evening hike. I brought 2 of the day 3 labs with me. Cranked the tunes and hit the trail.

After all the recent rain and temps above zero you can see earth instead of just snow.

It amazes me how the same trail has created different challenges for me almost daily.  All based on the weather.

Wild!

Thanks for tuning in,
Johnny O.

Ten more - Day 50

Wooooooo Hoooooooo!!!!!! Need I say more?

Despite the pouring rain I had a a very good hike to the top of George Cove Mtn. I managed to get past my disdain for how wet I was going to be and headed out. To be honest I was kind of pissed off anyway for personal reasons so I just put my head down cranked up the ipod and took it one brisk step at a time. I also have to admit it felt good to be pissed off. It put a little purpose back in my step and reminded me to walk tall. By the time I got to the top I was in a good mood and it felt good to be in a good mood also, except by then I was walking even taller than before!

I have to say that this challenge has certainly instilled this virtue of taking it one step at a time into my every day. If I get overwhelmed by a task, I chunk it down out of habit, into something managable, if not easy. Then move onto the next, till eventually it is done.

Anyway... I hope you are in a good mood!

Thanks for tuning in,
Johnny O.

Audible - Day 49

In football they have what is called an audible.  At the last second the quarterback decides to change the play. That's what I had on the go this morning.  I got up at 4am. Did my 20 minutes of Japa meditation the said fuck this and went back to sleep for another well deserved and needed hour.

Reasoning.... well it will be easier to manage the dogs in the daylight after work. So that's what I did, and that's what it was. A good time was had by all!

I think that may be the plan for the rest of their stay. Who knows. I will let you know tomorrow ;-)

Thanks for tuning in!
Johnny O.

Busy day - Day 48

I'm sorry I missed my post yestrrday. Got the hike done yesterday morning Here's the post :-)

Another good hike up the mountain with the dogs. The keep me atxa good pace and it seemed my time  was a bit faster than usual.

Btw...yesterday marked the 4/5 completed mark.... nope haven't given up or found something easier to do...lol

Thanks for tuning in :-)

Dog gone - Day 47

Today was a fun hike. I had 3 new companions who will be joining me for the next little while. Avery, Jack, and Sadie. 3 beautiful Labrador Retrievers. They all look pretty warn out now. ..lol! It's great to have them :-)

Olivero outdoors - Day 46

Man what a day today has been. 1st day of scuba diving for the year. Followed by a cook up in the woods for a few hours with new and old friends.  I just finished my hike. From the looks of things this evening will be just as fun!

When you open yourself up to all of life's possibilities, it certainly becomes one worth living! Thanks :-)

All's quiet! - Day 45

A really calm day out there today. A great way to start the day! I had a nice leisurely yet fast paced hike up and back.

Thanks for tuning in :-)

Alive in the super unknown - Day 44

Lol... I am not sure why I like to quote Soundgarden titles. I just do! To be honest I am not even sure what that has to d o with my hike today.

But it is good to be alive and it is good to be in the unknown for a change. The future is wide open! Thank you :-)

After the storm - Day 43

Lol.... so I didn't quit ;-)  Great hike today. Fast pace on the flats and up the hills. Felt good!!

Thanks to the snowmobilers for packing down the track. Also thanks to the drivers for keeping a sharp eye, and thanks to the plow guys who clear my way. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

I quit!!!

April fools!!! As my spanish friends say jajajajajaja :-)

Wow I just came back from the hike and boy are my legs tired.... ba dum bump...lol

Seriously today was one of the hardest days. It took me two hours to complete.  Normally it takes about 70 to 80 minutes.

I did think about turning back a few times. However I remembered to chunk down my goals. Instead of focusing on the top, I made a goal every 5 feet. This branch, that stump, this twig, that bump and so on. Till finally I was at the top.

One thing I did think of today was the limitations of that approach.  If you didn't use your other senses or your intuition as well you might get hit by a snow plow ;-)

Thanks and have a great day everyone.  Go enjoy the snow it is beautiful outside!!