So, Master Class is over as of yesterday, as there are no more videos to watch! Except, what’s that? I have to record my own video for the next 6 days? Yes I do, one for each of the 6 domains of the challenge even! Can I tell you I’ve never done a video before? I haven’t in any way possible, but that’s all about to change today! This is a new frontier for me, and I’m thankful, honestly, to have a new limit challenged and broken even. I’m ready for this one! I’ll post my video at the end.
This morning’s workout was one of my favorite days, Arms Day. I know my arms feel like rubber at the end, and all worn out, but I enjoy having stronger arms, and quite like the fact that I can do this routine well. What is getting challenging is the Body Weight Exercise of Choice that I have to increase every day of the challenge before I even do my first warm-up. I made the choice to do push-ups as my exercise, and being Day 55, I get to do 55 push-ups before my warm-up. It’s getting touch, but the one thing I appreciate is the fact that push-ups are not in the warm-up on Arms Day! Thank you Mr. David Hageman for that blessing!
After the regular Arms Day workout, being Saturday, I also have a Valor Challenge! Today it is nicknamed the Mogadishu Mile and consists of 4 rounds. Each round you need to do 19 Ground to Overhead with either Dumbbells or Kettlebells (I chose dumbbells), 19 Front Squats (with your dumbbells), 19 Dumbbell Push-ups, and a 400 m run (with your dumbbells). I, of course, have to modify that to do 1200 meters (approx. 0.75 miles) on the bike instead of running, but I still had my dumbbells in my hands like I was running with them. Your dumbbells or kettlebells are your battle buddy through this part of the exercise, is my understanding. The rest of the information for the Valor Challenge, from Mission Six Zero, is here:
Deliberate Discomfort
VALOR CHALLENGE
CPL Kristopher Daniel Greer, U.S. Marine Corps
As you go through the challenge, please think about Marine Corporal Kristopher Daniel Greer of Ashland, Tennessee. This Valor Challenge was suggested by Mission Six Zero team member, Joey Jones.
CPL Greer received a traumatic brain injury as a result of an IED explosion during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. on August 6th, 2005, that also claimed the legs of Marine Sgt. Joey Jones, an explosives disposal expert. CPL Greer was 25 when he died two days later.
Corporal Greer, Sergeant Joey Jones, and Staff Sergeant Eric Chir worked for seven days to find bombs in the Taliban stronghold of Safar Bazaar and had detonated more than 40 of them. Then one blew up unexpectedly while they were inspecting a suspect pile of mortars and tubes at the back of a building barely 50 yards from the compound where the Marines were sleeping. An emotional Capt. Nathan Opie described the scene, saying: “They got Greer and they got him pretty bad. At that point he brought me over there to Greer and I saw the EOD techs as well and we just started getting them on stretchers and getting them out of there. Greer was lying on the ground, with a head injury. Near him lay Jones, who had lost both his legs. Chir had taken a lot of shrapnel, but was still able to walk.”
Greer was a member of Company D, 4th Combat Engineering Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, out of Knoxville. Greer was on his first deployment after joining the Marines in April 2006.
Greer was also a firefighter on the Ashland City Fire Department and an EMT. “Daniel has been a true hero, not only in serving his country, but in serving his community as an Ashland City firefighter,” Ashland City fire chief Chuck Walker said. Greer, was a 2003 graduate of Harpeth High School, joined the Ashland City fire department as a volunteer in March 2005 and became a full-time employee two years later.
“He was an energetic and outgoing person and was a great asset to our department,” Walker said. “His father said ever since Daniel was young he wanted to be a firefighter. He was also always passionate about his wishes to serve his country.”
“Daniel was a character. He was very outspoken, and he didn’t mind letting you know what was on his mind,” Walker said. The fire chief said the death of Greer is the same as losing a family member. “We [firefighters] spend a lot of time together. Even on Daniel’s days off, he would often go hunting and fishing with the other firefighters,” he said. Walker said Greer’s pride and joy was his family, which included his wife, Stacy, and his young son, Ethan.
“He always put his family first even above the fire department and military,” he said.
Good luck today, guys. May your workout honor his memory.
-Jason B.A. Van Camp
Thankfully enough I was able to get a little bit of work in today, along with getting the rest of my challenge tasks completed! I was even able to show someone else around the gym today and have a conversation about the challenge and his workout today, which is a part of my Social domain, so extra checkmark for me there today early in the morning!
Afternoon cardio went well, but due to the weather had to happen at the gym. I was able to get in 2.28 miles on the treadmill in 45 minutes. Kept it up to a decent pace today! I think my arms were glad they could just hold onto the machine after the morning workout!
Now time for my example of Breaking Through Your Limits, my Physical Domain video follows: