The First Meet

Well, well, well.

Training pays off. In gold. Traveled to south Florida last week and came home with 5 gold medals and 2 new records.

New York is 56 days away and I'm right on target to bring home 5 more. I think I'll go for a swim.

Booyah!!

The Lifestyle

Thank you, Jillian Michaels.

It's been several months now and my body has changed significantly. Today, I grabbed a pair of jeans from the closet and slid them on. A little snug--I thought, "this isn't cool...", until I took them back off and looked at the tag. Size 8. They weren't my jeans. They were my girlfriend's.

Wow.

I'm past the point of no return now. My lifeSTYLE is completely different. My eating habits, sleep schedule, exercise regimen, attitude. I approach situations so much differently--with a balance of mind that I never possessed prior to this undertaking. I'm so grateful for little things now---I think I'm a full-on grown up.

I'm all signed up for the World Games, got my plane ticket, hotel and access badge--oh--I"m Athlete #3933. I'm excited, nervous, anxious, thrilled and downright happy to be back in the realm of the athletic and alive!

One more note---at the pool this morning, a triathlete (female, 6'2", 130 pounds) asked me if I competed in triathlons. I laughed and told her 'no', that I'm not much of a runner. She countered with, "Oh, well, you look athletic." Ok---THAT was the most amazing moment I've had in a while. That said, I'm going to train her on how to improve her stroke and she's going to help me with endurance. How's that for a win-win?

Movin'.

The Challenge

Wow.

Sometimes things just fall into place, don't they? I've read two books this week (Unlimited by Jillian Michaels and Unlimited Power by Tony Robbins), written 15 years apart and they essentially say the exact same thing: YOUR LIFE IS YOUR CHOICES. You choose to become a part of something spectacular or choose to sit on the sidelines. That's it. End game.

Both Michaels and Robbins practice what they preach, as does Dara Torres, my other model and pseudo-mentor. The message is simple: find out what people you admire do to acquire success and model yourself after them. Find out what you can about their habits, lifestyle, hard work and dedication and then just freaking do it.

This journey has been about so much more than taking first place in a swim meet. It has changed my life. I have learned so much about myself--and how truly unlimited we all are and how we place SO MANY limitations on ourselves every minute of every day. We must break free of those chains and learn, one step at a time, how to maximize our individual potential. Not everyone can be a nuclear physicist or discover the cure for cancer, but the potential for greatness resides inside every one of us.

Tap into it and find out how amazing you really are.

The Gym

I'm pushing more weight at the gym than I ever thought possible.

Tonight, I was doing lat pulldowns with 150 pounds for 12 reps/4 sets. Pretty soon, I'll be doing pullups instead! The pounds are coming off and I'm feeling really strong. This is easily the best thing I've ever done for myself.

I read a post by Jillian Michaels today about goal setting. It said that in order for a goal to be achievable, it has to be 1) attainable, 2) cut into manageable pieces, and 3) be written down.

Ok.

1) Win 5 gold medals.

2) Train week to week with breaks for muscle rehab

3) Done.

The Uniform

Just got my team USA uniform in the mail! Nothing has ever inspired me more--I am so ready to kick some ass!!

The Changes

Express had an amazing sale on jeans last month. Good thing--they were normally $75 and I paid $50. They are HUGE! I tried them on this morning and they are, effectively, unwearable. Only a month ago, they were a little snug in the bootie. Unbelievable.

Also--I tried on a pair of army green pants that I have had for...10 years? I love those pants and they have been hanging in my closet, patiently waiting for my butt to shrink enough to slide them on. This morning? Ooooh, yeah baby. They're back in the wardrobe!

The Motivation

I've been hitting the gym hard for the past two weeks. Dieting---well, "eating clean" as they say. It hasn't been easy. There are so many temptations out there, the least of which is Starbucks. Let me tell you--not going for the venti vanilla latte and opting instead for a grande brewed coffee with no cream has been....well....a bitch. But, I've found that replacing a few things has made a huge difference. Instead of cream, I use some skim milk and a dash of cinnamon, which actually sweetens it a bit. I've never used sweetener of any kind in my coffee. so I guess I'm ahead on that front.

I've cut out ALL white flour, sugar, starches and most gluten. This has, by far, been the most difficult part of this venture. I had no idea how much CRAP is out there! Being a Type A (+++, ha), I've read nutrition books by Tosca Reno, Jillian Michaels, Timothy Ferriss, you name it. They're all basically telling us the same thing--cut out the crap. Okay....but where do I start? When I cleaned out the cupboards and actually read the ingredients in some of the stuff I've been shamelessly cramming into my gullet, I was really shocked. It's disgusting. Hydrogenated oils? Partially hydrogenated, refined, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated--hey! I've taken chemistry classes and I don't need these words to make their way from my table into my bloodstream, thankyouverymuch.

Start with what you're eating. Knock it off--plain and simple. Find the strength within yourself---and love yourself--enough to quit eating shit. Seriously. I'm a sugar JUNKIE and I've given it up. I quit smoking, cold turkey, on November 3, 2003. I quit refined sugar on March 13, 2011. Give yourself some credit for being strong. You don't need it--it wreaks havoc on your system and keeps you from performing at your best. I feel like a different person after only 2 weeks. 2 WEEKS, PEOPLE. Don't you have 2 weeks in you to give it a shot?

The Weight

The WEIGHT. I have a minimum of 30 pounds to lose if I'm going to have a prayer of competing the way I want to in August. I keep thinking---August, that's 5 months away! And then I think--August. Shit! That's 5 months away!

30 pounds. That sounds so daunting to a woman who has been at a fairly ideal weight most of my life. I gained it so fast while I was in school--not working out, not getting sleep, working too much in an exhausted state. Truth be told, I think I drained my adrenals to the point that they finally told me to kindly go fuck myself and started pumping out cortisol like nobody's business. Now, I have fat stores in places I didn't know I had places. I've been reading a lot of books (Jillian Michaels, Tosca Reno, pros in the fitness biz) and I think I have a pretty good idea of where to go with this thing.

My diet for the past several days has been FLAWLESS and I'm not minding as much as I thought I would. I've noticed my energy levels jump through the roof and I've actually wanted to go to the gym and pool to workout. Hard. I mean, push myself like crazy.

I seriously hope that this energy burst lasts, because I'm loving it right now. I feel lighter and my clothes are already beginning to feel a little looser. Not that I have the money for an entire new wardrobe, but it won't hurt my feelings if I never see a double-digit pants size ever again!

The photo symbolizes the fog I've been living in for 2 years while I worked on my advanced degree. Now that I've accomplished that goal, I've planted the seed for another one.

The Beginning

I have decided, perhaps against my better judgment, to get my ass back into the pool (along with all of my other major parts) and train for the 2011 World Police and Fire Games. Might not sound like much, but 20,000 elite athletes from around the globe, competing in 70 Olympic-style events might argue with you. That's right. This thing is second in size and competition only to the Olympics.

What in the hell am I thinking??

I've set my sights on the one sport I have known throughout my life and the one sport I have turned to for high-powered competition, stress relief, relaxation, peace of mind and good, old-fashioned fitness: swimming. I have been at home in the pool since I swam my first race at 6 years of age. I lost miserably, but I went home with a pink 6th place ribbon. I lost and I still got a ribbon! That single spark lit a flame that still burns brightly today and I still harbor the competitive spirit I grew up with back in Maryland in the 70's and 80's. Just thinking about cramming my hair into a swim cap and pushing goggles into my eye sockets whips up my competitive side like nothing else on earth.

So.....that said, I've started a training regimen that is going to push me to my outer limits. Granted, I have to work 40-50 hours a week and still have outside commitments to attend to as well, but my plans are grounded in a foundation seated long ago. I've always pushed myself in every aspect of my life. I obtained my bachelor's and master's degrees, magna and summa cum laude respectively, while working full-time investigating violent crimes and homicides and acting as the training coordinator for the crime scene unit of the 10th largest police department in the nation. If I can do all of THAT, winning gold at the 2011 games is definitely doable.

There's my goal. In black & white. 5 gold medals. 3 individuals (50 free, 50 back, 50 fly) and 2 relays (200 free, 200 medley).

No luck necessary. It's all in the pool and in the gym.

It's easier not to care sometimes.

I've been working with an after-school basketball program for some of the "inner-city" teens since February.  I've gotten to know these kids really well and even met some of their families.  I've had them confide in me (as a police officer and as a friend) and worked my way from standoffishness to hugs.  We joke, laugh, discuss, chat and generally just have a good time together.  I've learned a lot and I think they've opened up to some new ideas about law and police work.  

I was injured on the job last month and as a result, missed several days with my kids.  When I returned on Tuesday, I found out that they had made it to the semi-finals of the tournament.  Unfortunately, due to several factors beyond their control, they had to forfeit the final game.  

They didn't understand. 

This program was created to give these kids a sense of accomplishment.  Teamwork.  Dedication.  Goal-setting.  They learned all of these life lessons well.  They changed.  They grew.  Then, in one phone call, all of their hopes were dashed and they were let down.  Not by fellow teammates, but by the bureaucracy of "the system".  

I was heartbroken for them.  They didn't show up to play ball on Tuesday.  Or Wednesday.  The coach told me that they all quit after this bad decision had been made and the trophies awarded to another team via their "forfeit".  It just didn't make sense.  I asked the director of the program what happened and even he couldn't give me a straight answer.  I tried to contact several of the kids but they didn't answer the phone.  

Leave it up to a bunch of upper-middle-class bean counters to screw up a fantastic program.  4 million dollars was funneled into it and really great progress was being made across the boards.  Now, it's a consummate failure because of one horrible decision.  

You can't expect children to readily accept disappointment when they have never known anything else.  You can't expect them to pull themselves up by their bootstraps when they have no hope to begin with.  The people that made this decision have no idea what they've done---and that's the worst part of it all.  

I'll keep trying, but last I heard, they're closing the park down---essentially giving it back to the dope dealers and crack whores who infiltrated it to begin with.  

Unbelievable. 

New video on "Traditional Marriage"...check it out!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFkeKKszXTw

 

Hilarious response to the bigots at the National Organization for Marriage.  

Brilliant!  Credit to The Huffington Post, Lizz Winstead.  

Amazon~ You're doin' it wrong.

So, Amazon.com thought it would be a prudent move to shove all GLBT themed books into the "smut" aisle along with porn and other "adult" material.  Hmm.  This also changed the way the search engine acquires book title results and the way sales are counted.  Not that authors rely on sales or anything...

In the past, I have made many, many purchases through Amazon, including ridiculously expensive textbooks.  Until this is resolved appropriately, I will use another avenue for my literary needs.  

I hope everyone who reads the blog posts, Twitter updates and news site bashings of this horrible decision does the same.  

Who makes these decisions anyway???? If you hadn't thought about boycotting, at least think about that---somebody making decisions about what's right FOR you.  

20/20 "If I Only Had A Gun"

Watching this fascinating documentary of ordinary citizens, kids and guns.  I have had hundreds if not thousands of hours of training and I am stunned at the brazenness of some of the younger ones.  I am convinced that video games and some movies and television have created some sense of immortality in these kids.  

Although I carry a gun everywhere I go, I do so with the understanding that I have (I hope) muscle memory from my hours at the gun range and the mental attitude to carry through with any actions I might have to take to protect myself or another person.  A gun does NOT make you safer unless you have the training and survival skills to go along with it.  

Please, please...if you have a concealed weapons permit, take the time to re-train yourself with an experienced professional.  If you choose to carry a gun, do so with great care and remember that retreating is never cowardly if you're in a losing battle.  

Distance.  Cover.  Concealment.  Training.  Training.  Training...

Have you seen the new anti-gay marriage ads?

If you haven't and you're not prone to convulsive vomiting caused by immeasurable douchebaggery, I offer you the link to the audition video.

Here is the link to the actual commercial by The National Organization for Marriage created with those incredibly talented actors.  I smell Mobius Award...

Amazingly, during wartime- economic meltdown-rueful real estate market-North Korean nuke firing-iceberg melting-global stock crisis-it's the gays, once again, who are at the forefront of the Republican dossier.  Well, in the face of all the hype, I want to thank Vermont and Washington D.C., (surprisingly) who both now recognize gay marriage.  

I'm truly NOT a political ranter by nature, but this kind of shit in the face of the plethora of issues facing each and every person in this country just galls me to no end.  

Okay...off my soap box and back to my soaps.  

Obama waiting for the right moment to push gay rights agenda

The Atlantic, my favorite news source besides MSNBC, has reported that President Obama is waiting for the Senate to confirm John Berry as the head of the Office of Personnel Management before pushing the promises he made during his campaign.  Berry will be the highest-ranking openly gay administration official and being in charge of all federal H.R. could create a push for same-sex benefits at that level.  If the trickle-down effect rings true, perhaps benefits for homosexual couples could become compulsory...? 

See the whole article. 

Universal karma: 1

So, sometimes karma comes quickly.  I'm certain the knock on the door of the young man I put in jail today came not only quickly, but completely unexpectedly.  

You see, this young man thought it would be a great idea to destroy several classrooms of a not-for-profit school for the mentally and physically handicapped.   Pissed off yet?  Every fire extinguisher had been emptied onto pieces of artwork and clothing.  The refrigerator contents were smeared over every surface imaginable and the sink was stopped up and the room completely flooded.  Nice.  

All of the wonderful people and students at the school cheered as I did my investigation.  It just warmed my heart and infuriated me all at the same time.  Why?  Why pick on people who already have a difficult time in life?  

Needless to say, I took great pleasure in paying him a visit today.  What do you think the punishment for something like this should be?  I've thought about it and I think about 200 hours of community service at the school, planting flowers, sweeping floors and washing the transportation van would suffice.  

Thoughts?

It is a sad day for the city of Oakland and police officers throughout the country.  These four officers were gunned down by a parole-violator in two related shooting incidents.  Sgt. Dunakin, Sgt. Sakai and Sgt. Romans were killed in the attack.  Ofc. Hege is battling for his life. 

Please keep the families in your thoughts and remember that even though we are the guys who issue tickets, we are also the ones who allow you and your family to sleep well at night.  

Rest in eternal peace, my brothers. 

Today. 

Enjoy a little piece of my Thursday.  

Ahh...Scotland.  I love ye.  

Scottish Parliament has found unanimously to re-examine the Marriage Act of 1977.  All members found it to be hypocritical and against modern thinking.  How refreshing!  

With a large population of agnostics and pagan-influenced religions, Scottish leaders feel a need to "encompass the whole of society" in this legislation supporting gay marriage.  Both religious and non-religious groups are being asked for evidence in support of this amendment--and if not in support of it, reasons WHY.  

It is amazing to me that the U.S. continues to battle this matter of human rights solely in the light of religion.  The division of church and state in this day and age is as convoluted as it was 50 years ago.  

Kudos to the Scots for getting it right.  A wee house on the moors sounds mighty appealing right now...