A few updates...

Personal Achievement:
Well, two days ago I took a big step forward in my path for physical fitness. I did my first Muscle-up. I think I was on cloud 9 for at least a day afterward, haha. For those of you that do not know, a Muscle-up is where you do a pull-up on the rings to your chest, lean slightly forward, and turn it in to a very deep dip. Looked quite funny the first couple of times because my technique still needs some fine tuning, but I did it, haha. The gymnast rings are really a great strength and flexibility tool. If you can afford a set, and have place to put them, they are worth every penny.

Health & Nutrition:
I have decided to take my dedication to the next level to attempt improving my overall health and physical abilities. I am going on a strict "Paleo diet.

Excerpt from above linked page:
The essentials of the Paleolithic Diet are:

Eat none of the following:

· Grains- including bread, pasta, noodles

· Beans- including string beans, kidney beans, lentils, peanuts, snow-peas and peas

· Potatoes

· Dairy products

· Sugar

· Salt

Eat the following:

· Meat, chicken and fish

· Eggs

· Fruit

· Vegetables (especially root vegetables, but definitely not including potatoes or sweet potatoes)

· Nuts, eg. walnuts, Brazil nuts, macadamia, almond. Do not eat peanuts (a bean) or cashews (a family of their own)

· Berries- strawberries, blueberries, raspberries etc.

Try to increase your intake of:

· Root vegetables- carrots, turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, Swedes

· Organ meats- liver and kidneys (I accept that many people find these unpalatable and won’t eat them)

It is going to be a difficult transition at first, as I eat a few pounds of extra sharp cheddar cheese, drink 3 or so gallons of milk, and eat a loaf or more of bread each week. Not to mention the cookies or banana nut bread we make all the time. I am really going to miss them, haha. Oh well, it will be worth it in the end.

Goals:
I have decided the Half-Marathon is going to be out of the question for me. My knees just cannot take that excess pounding on the asphalt. I can handle a 10K (6.2 miles) or even the occasional 10 mile run, but 13.1 is just a little too much. However, I have come up with a new goal. I truly enjoy doing CrossFit, and the people are some of the best you can find. I seriously doubt that I would be ready for the qualifying rounds in Feb-Mar, but next year I should be ready to attempt qualifying for the CrossFit Games. I know that I have the dedication, determination, and capability to do it. The only question is, will I be good enough... It may be WAY out there, but you have to have dreams and goals to attempt, right?