Starts and Stripes

My name is Gary and I'm a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps. This blog is mostly about my love/hate relationship with running, and my baby steps into triathlon.

[startsnstripes]

I would say "lace up and shut up" but it wouldn't apply 😂

[startsnstripes]

An unfortunate assessment.

2 mile run in 20 minutes

250 meter swim in 8 minutes

Holy fuck I'm out of shape.

[startsnstripes]

Progress.

On Wednesday, I cleaned 185 lb, squatted 205 lb, I'm still working on power-jerking 135 lb (that sounds dirty) and when I manage that, I'm going to start working overhead squats to pursue for a snatch- distant future. In the pool, I've made significant changes to my stroke and I've been working on gliding and taking 1 breath every three strokes (I'm doing gut busters, a lot).

It's a little worrisome that I weighed in today at 201 lb, which is the most I've ever weighed. I'm trying to not freak the fuck out. I know if I step up my cardio game and keep lifting, I'll eventually get to a 185-190 lean which is where I really want to be. If I had to run a 5k right now, I'd probably be hard-pressed to come in under 25. All this Cuban food is doing a number on me.

[startsnstripes]

Douchebag squatter guy.

Puts more than 300 lbs on the bar.

Doesn't even come within 20 degrees of parallel.

[startsnstripes]

What do you mean I can't clean and jerk 135 lb after more than a year off of lifting?!? I had no problem with squat/front squat at 105/135 lb respectively (10x each). I didn't even try deadlifting because when I was done my legs were shaking. Bench/deadlift another day.

[echo5charlie]

Vodka… is awesome. Cars… are awesome. Sex… definitely awesome. The highest place I’ve been is the tallest building in the world in Dubai, and that was awesome. My mom’s still my hero. War is still a game, it’s just that the stakes are exponentially higher. The most pain I’ve felt is road-rash which is kind of like skinned knees. And goodbyes? That’s just life. 

What I’m trying to say is- nobody says you have to grow up and stop looking at life like a child would. By all means, you should quit acting like a kid- be a mature, good-natured and level-headed person. But, fuck- I have a mortgage and a wife and child and have to worry about taxes and health care and life insurance and retirement planning and I have a shit-ton of other problems just like every other adult, but I’m still just a big kid. My toys are just louder, faster, and more expensive. My expeditions have taken me across the world instead of down the street. 

No one says you have to stop finding that child-like enjoyment of simple things. You decide that. Being a grownup doesn’t mean you have to live disillusioned; remembering the past and thinking your best days are behind you. 

I couldn’t wait to grow up because I wanted to do things my own way. Now I’m there. And I love it. Even though I had a lot more time to have fun as a kid, I didn’t necessarily have more fun. 

You have more control over your life now than you did then. This is your life. What you choose to do with it is up to you. 

[echo5charlie]

Lcpl. Cyrille is Haitian.

That fucker speaks four languages. French, Creole, English and Spanish. So we’re all talking and somebody asks him to speak some Creole out of curiosity, you don’t hear that everyday…

He says a couple of sentences and half way- I interrupt. "SHAN-BAM-BAM-BOOBOLAY!!!"

he was too busy laughing to be mad at me. :D

[echo5charlie]

Bored at the armory. At least it kept us warm.

[startsnstripes]

If there’s a quiet exuberance in the way you live your life

Or an underlying realism that never overflows into the cynical

If you can manage to be uplifting but never make it So your entire existence yells “I’m so happy; it’s disgusting.”

Or if you can look at the bright side And never hesitate to laugh at yourself-

Then

To me-

You’re perfect.

[startsnstripes]

resourceful

me: I want this outfit (image attached).

wife: you can work something out with what you have.

me: I don't think buying a fucking COACH handbag is "working with what you have"

wife: are you fishing for a fight? 'cause I'm not in the mood.

me: well, you're being a bitch, I'd say that's the right mood for the job.

wife: I'm not being a bitch.

me: "you can work something out with what you have." < what do you call that?

wife: resourceful

me: oh OK, I'll REMEMBER that shit.

[startsnstripes]

Lcpl: aw man, he's wearing his long run shoes. This is gonna suck.

Me: I told you to hydrate.

[echo5charlie]

22:50 3 mile. Worst runtime ever. Made it up with 16 pull ups.

[startsnstripes]

Awesome pool workout today. 500 m with pull buoy. Lats are killin' me.

[startsnstripes]

Never ran a day in her life. Posts on Facebook she just ran a 46 min 10k. Bull-fucking-shit!

[startsnstripes]

23:10 three mile. Not bad. I think I could've definitely gone way faster. All I kept thinking was "don't go too fast" "don't bonk, don't bonk, don't bonk!" And then by the time I was at the 2.5 mile point I was like "ah shit, I didn't go fast enough"

[startsnstripes]

It's a good day to run an all out three miles. Comfortably cool 43 degrees. This time is for score. I can't get away with no 25 mins. It's going to hurt. Oh it's gonna hurt bad.

[startsnstripes]

My hip flexors and lower back are killing me. That's what happens when you don't substantially run for a while and then someone's like- "oh by the way, we got a PFT tomorrow." I need to stretch. And run. A lot. Lol