Keeping fit...

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The Birdman
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#16 Post by The Birdman »

Visiting Stewardess wrote:Wow, that's a lot of up and down! I have had some up and down too, but in a completely different league. 127 was my highest (at 5'3") and 103 my lowest.
Why did you leave the CG (if you don't mind me asking! if it's too personal, you don't have to answer this), seems to be a fantastic opportunity to get paid to keep fit...
The Birdman wrote: For me it is just having the goal for like 1 or 2 years that will help me get fit, I know I can do it, I've done it before.
Way to go! That is the only reason I run marathons. Just to prove to myself that I can do it.
No, actually it's the opposite. The CG doesn't have any PT after basic training. Everybody at my unit had to lose weight just to pass a pysical to go to their next unit. There are different divisions of the coast guard, you never know wich one you will get asigned to. I got put on the BIG 378' cutters, something the public mostly doesn't ever see or know about. At my particular unit it seemed like mutiny could break out at any moment. One time I talked to an officer about starting a PT program to help everybody keep in shape, he said something like "gee, the men would really love me then" sarcastically, insinuating he basically wanted to just let the crew do their own thing and not be pissed at him. I sailed all over the pacific following a Navy fleet, that's how I saw hawaii. It's one of those thing where you ask your self where you see you in 5 years, for me it wasn't in the CG. I gave them a chance to send me to a small boat station, but they said my next unit would be another 378' so I declined to re-enlist. Since 9/11 they were taken over my Homeland Security, they were DOT while I was in there. I don't know how much they could have changed? From what I hear they've spent billions on the "deep water project" to retrofit/upgrade their ships (old vietnam era ships, BTW) and not one has actually been finnished. They tried to weld on extensions to each end to make the ships bigger, then the ships started breaking in the middle :roll: Ugh, I could go on. USCG stands for Uncle Sams Confused Group.

ETA: I don't tell everybody not to join the CG, it can be a good deal, especially in this economy. I was a single guy, so I lived in a 3 high bunk bed and a locker about 12" wide, but guys with wives automatically get off base housing and get paid more for every dependent. So guys the same rank as me were getting paid twice as much and got all these freebees. Now remember this though: you COULD end up living rent free in honolulu hawaii, or you could end up in isolated duty in alaska (your spouse somewhere else) We used to joke with the guys going to isolated duty about "whos turn is it to wear your boxers backwards?" (gay sex joke) But in this economy, if you're broke and near homeless it can be a good deal.

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#17 Post by Lt Tanaka »

I do sumo every weekend. Teaching kids and training myself. I've been doing that for about 7 years The training is more intense than anything I'd ever experienced before. Getting close to 40 now so the injuries are starting to pile up. Don't know how much longer I'll be able to compete. After missing the World Championships for a couple of years I'm hoping to get down to the lightweight division (-85kgs) from middleweight (-115kgs) for Hong Kong next October. Before sumo I was a 60kg soccer player.
I enjoy playing pretty much any sport. Love to be active.

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Styles Bitchley
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#18 Post by Styles Bitchley »

Lt Tanaka wrote:I do sumo every weekend. Teaching kids and training myself.
Dude, that is so awesome. I guess that explains why you had that sumo-related stuff to sell a while back. It's amazing how sumo is such a huge sport in Japan but barely exists elsewhere.

Speaking of Japan: Hey Birdman, what the hell is "Ninja Warrior."
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Visiting Stewardess
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#19 Post by Visiting Stewardess »

Interesting, so you don't have to be fat to do sumo (<85 kgs)...
How is it different from wrestling? It is a show fight and quite choreographed too, isn't it?

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Styles Bitchley
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#20 Post by Styles Bitchley »

Visiting Stewardess wrote:How is it different from wrestling? It is a show fight and quite choreographed too, isn't it?
I'm fairly certain that "real" sumo is not like that.
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The Birdman
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#21 Post by The Birdman »

Styles Bitchley wrote:
Lt Tanaka wrote:I do sumo every weekend. Teaching kids and training myself.
Dude, that is so awesome. I guess that explains why you had that sumo-related stuff to sell a while back. It's amazing how sumo is such a huge sport in Japan but barely exists elsewhere.

Speaking of Japan: Hey Birdman, what the hell is "Ninja Warrior."
Should explain it. http://www.g4tv.com/ninjawarrior/index.html
You can probably find youtubes of it. I think it changed over the years, when I first started watching it the competitors wore a lot of comical costumes and stuff, but I think now it has become much more serious.

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Styles Bitchley
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#22 Post by Styles Bitchley »

The Birdman wrote:Should explain it. http://www.g4tv.com/ninjawarrior/index.html
You can probably find youtubes of it. I think it changed over the years, when I first started watching it the competitors wore a lot of comical costumes and stuff, but I think now it has become much more serious.
OK, I want in!
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#23 Post by Danno »

Visiting Stewardess, what was your time in the marathon?
My pb for a half marathon is 1hr 51mins so far... working up to better that.

That's about 'extreme' as I get though. I used to teach abseiling and rock climbing in army cadets, but it's been years since I've jumped off a cliff.
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Visiting Stewardess
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#24 Post by Visiting Stewardess »

My best time in a half marathon is 2:13.
For the marathon 4 weeks ago I took 4:59. I slowed down considerably after about 23 miles.

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#25 Post by AmandaByNight »

Visiting Stewardess wrote:My best time in a half marathon is 2:13.
For the marathon 4 weeks ago I took 4:59. I slowed down considerably after about 23 miles.
Wow, I'm sure I would have slowed down after 23 feet! :)

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#26 Post by Visiting Stewardess »

With a bit of training, everybody can do it, if I can.

I was a complete failure in sports in school. I was crap in ball games, athletics, gymnastics. (To this day, I cannot do a cartwheel.) Everything that had to do with physical activity. I managed to get the worst marks for sports. If I told my old teachers now that I run marathons, they would not believe me.
I only started running when I was about 25, and started off with about a mile. I very slowly increased it over the years until I ran my first half marathon in 2003. Back then, I didn't think a marathon was possible.
It is now. :wink:

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#27 Post by Danno »

Nice work, Visiting Stewardess!
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#28 Post by Jake »

Dan wrote:Nice work, Visiting Stewardess!
I agree, definitely commendable. I can’t imagine training for a marathon. I have never been a big fan of working just for the sake of working out, but I always enjoyed keeping fit thru sports. I played sports in high school and then took a break thru the college years. After college I joined a mens rugby club and that was definitely a work out and can keep you fit. It was also great camaraderie and we had some great times, especially traveling to games/tournaments throughout the other western states (I lived in Nevada at the time). Eventually I changed jobs and moved to Michigan and the rugby days were over. I did play some racquetball somewhat regularly for a while, but eventually that ended too. Nowadays the exercise mainly comes from yard work and the occasional walk/jog when the mood strikes me. This summer has had some crazy weather for us and I have actually been spending quite a bit of time cutting up trees that have come down. Wielding the chainsaw and splitting the wood has led to some muscles being sore that haven’t bent put thru the ringer in a while! Now that fall is here I will be spending as much time in the woods as I can muster, as I enjoy the hunting seasons here in MI and I will be definitely burning up some calories trekking around to fill the freezer up.

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#29 Post by Styles Bitchley »

Jake wrote:
Dan wrote:Nice work, Visiting Stewardess!
I agree, definitely commendable. I can’t imagine training for a marathon. I have never been a big fan of working just for the sake of working out, but I always enjoyed keeping fit thru sports. I played sports in high school and then took a break thru the college years. After college I joined a mens rugby club and that was definitely a work out and can keep you fit. It was also great camaraderie and we had some great times, especially traveling to games/tournaments throughout the other western states (I lived in Nevada at the time). Eventually I changed jobs and moved to Michigan and the rugby days were over. I did play some racquetball somewhat regularly for a while, but eventually that ended too. Nowadays the exercise mainly comes from yard work and the occasional walk/jog when the mood strikes me. This summer has had some crazy weather for us and I have actually been spending quite a bit of time cutting up trees that have come down. Wielding the chainsaw and splitting the wood has led to some muscles being sore that haven’t bent put thru the ringer in a while! Now that fall is here I will be spending as much time in the woods as I can muster, as I enjoy the hunting seasons here in MI and I will be definitely burning up some calories trekking around to fill the freezer up.
I love working in the outdoors. Great for both the physical and mental health.

You following the rugby world cup?
"How fiendishly deceptive of you Magnum. I could have sworn I was hearing the emasculation of a large rodent."

- J.Q.H.

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Visiting Stewardess
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#30 Post by Visiting Stewardess »

Dan wrote:Nice work, Visiting Stewardess!
Thanks.

I'd love to work outdoors. So I guess, running sort of compensates for my deskbound job.

I also like hiking. My most interesting hike must have been my trek up to Mount Everest Base Camp in 2005. Took us 12 days to trek up and 3 down! ;-)

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