March Madness: Day 1 It’s March! That used to mean a mad dash to accomplish everything manly before my birthday on the 11th (HINT) – The beauty of getting older is some of the lucky ones get wiser.I’ve been blessed although I don’t deserve it, but it’s nice to be content in life and secure in what God has for you to do. While I’m not certain He wants me at the gym late at night while Leah relaxes on a hydro-massage table eating Tootsie Roll, I am sure that there’s no longer a

FIT@50: What’s Life Over 50 Like? So this week I decided to head over to Smoothie King and grab a shake and a plant-based alternative for a no-bake chocolate cookie. Why? Because I like those cookies, but they don’t like me. Besides, the package said they were gluten-free. That has to be a bonus. While there, I met an older man who was talking about meal replacements, and then another older man who talked about intermittent fasting. Of course, I felt the need to contribute th

Years ago I’d stepped away from martial arts, but wanted to return. I’d lost the physical conditioning that came with fighting. I kept telling myself that once I got back into shape, I’d return. Well, the only way to get into karate shape, was through karate. I was looking for another path instead of committing to what brought me the fitness and the ability. We do this with God all the time. Making vows like “I’ll go back to church after I stop drinking,” or “Once my divorce 

FIT@50 This was fun. Going to the gym and not really sure where to move to get out of everyone’s way. So there’s this guy, big guy, and he’s pushing the earth off his chest on the bench press. There’s like two feet of space between him and the other guy grunting like he’s trapped in a mouse hole with an angry cat on his trail. I grab a kettlebell and begin doing something useless to warm up that involved a lot of bending and stretching, but just shy of becoming a Richard Simm

FIT@50 Several years ago I began to journal my journey toward turning 50. It was intended to encourage a move for getting back into top shape. Instead, it became a reflection of maturing into the next 50 years. So here we are almost 3 years since my 50th birthday, and although life has been a blessing, I’ve done nothing to restore my health other than relying on great genetics. As the body would soon tell, living a sedentary work-from-home lifestyle eventually overcame DNA. E

FIT@50 / week 60 Freedom: “It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.” Voltaire, the 18th century poet said. We strap many chains about us at various times in our lives. Some are born unto us, most others are self adorned. In my quest to become FIT, I’ve worked to identify the chains continuing to hold me back, or down. It’s easy to know that ice cream every night is a negative restrainer from losing weight. But it’s not always simple to see the internal chain

FIT@50 / week 25 The Ghost On Saturday I drove around the city in my POV (personally owned vehicle), sorry cop talk. I noticed drivers without seatbelts, easing through stop signs, and generally just motoring about their business. On the previous Friday, I’d been in my police cruiser. It had a wholly different effect. People immediately put on their seatbelts, they completely stopped at signs and they glance or nodded as they motored about their business. I thought on that S

FIT@50 / week 23 Less than half: Becoming fit often requires sacrifice. Be it food, ice cream, cake (yes, I went there), and often the bed. Hold on, this ain’t frisky talk. It’s about years focused on accumulation. Once I got fit, gathering meant less. The bed is a regular reminder. My kiddo still comes to sleep in the big bed on occasion. After five minutes, he has twisted and twirled and torqued until I’m on the very edge. Sleep may go interrupted until a hazy morning’s aw

Unplugged & Replugged: Last week was an amazing experience. I spent the weekend with my wife,Liliana Hart on a Trek Travels cycling trip through northern California. The grapes were the only things online out there. No cell or internet service, and the wifi was spotty to say the least. So what did I do with my cell phone? Used it as a camera to capture pics of the beauty of our country and the fun with new friends. I’d unplugged. And it was actually okay. In the same week,

FIT@50 \ week 13 Sacrifice: Putting Others First WOW, what a week of being FIT@50. I got married—how cool is that. Liliana Hart​ and I had planned the wedding months in advance, but even before that, we had options to throw any size event, anywhere we wanted. The choice was simple – lets do this for our families. Putting others first was the right decision. Our kids come after God, so to make sure not only the young, but the not so young could join us, we stayed in our hometo

This past weekend, Liliana Hart​ and I joined our most favorite team to challenge ourselves and each other in an adventure run. Team Us enjoyed the planning, and kidding about how we’d perform. We even had fun picking out a “noticeable” team jersey. There was no trophy to collect or hostage to rescue. There were only 3.2 miles of mud, cargo nets, rain and laughter to maneuver through. The shirts dirtied, but the smiles brightened as Team Us pulled together for an amazing race

FIT@50 \ week 3 Empathy: It’s okay to care. No matter how “fit” I’ve become, minding my own business has always been my business. During the many years in special operations my job was to know other’s secrets. I was good at my job. Knowing the darkest moments in another person’s life is a cross of confidentiality I understood I’d carry to my grave. Over the years it might have even caused me to construct a wall around my empathetic understanding. During a church service I loo

FIT@50 \ week 2 Finding this picture earlier I thought about how much better shape I was then than now. Behind my computer the adrenaline returned to re-experience the rush. I still sensed the empty state of exhaustion after having completed an open water swim and a long bike, to only prepare for a long run. Then I took a deep breath, hit “save” on this document and looked at the picture of me. In that chaotic ocean of nylon, Velcro and carbon fiber—it was just me—alone. It w

Who am I kidding, this Friday series has helped me journal a path from what I thought was important to what I know is important. I’ve enjoyed it and not ready for it to end. Although the name is changing appropriately enough from FITx50 to FIT@50. I’ll share that when I began the Friday posts my goal was to exercise like a teenager leading up to his prom night. On the big birthday I’d rip open my shirt to expose a 6-pack of carb-free abs (kinda). What ripped open instead was

FITx50 \ week 31 Folks, this is the very last episode of FITx50. I’ll be blessed with the distinction next Wednesday, March 11th. I’ve loved your support through these posts. Most encourage by saying it’s only a number, and if that’s the case it’s 18262.1 days. It’s 438,291 hours. It’s 26,280,000 minutes. Then while calculating the number of seconds, my handheld showed this – 1.5768e+9 – Did I just discover a hidden mathematical computation? Despite the math, on March 11th it

FITx50 \ week 30 This week Liliana Hart​ curiously said, “In two weeks you’ll be 50.” Silent, I waited for the punch line or the life’s lesson – nothing. She followed with, “Just saying.” It was the first time I realized just how close I was to the half-century celebration. No panic, just realization. Quickly I flashed over the initial goals I’d set as the idea of FITx50 became what I thought was a great idea. I always enjoyed the saying, “If you want to see God laugh, tell H

Someone commented this week during a Mardi Gras parade that they enjoyed keeping up with my Friday FITx50 posts. They thought it was funny that I veered away from physical fitness and began focusing on other aspects of being fit. I have to admit, it wasn’t anything purposeful. Looking back I saw where the transition began, and I think that was the point “fitness” truly began to mean more to me than physical accomplishments. I do look forward to turning 50 (HINT: March 11) and

Happy 2015. It’s been a great week for inching a bit closer to my goals for blasting the 50 year mark. Momentum Gym has been incredible as always and it’s great to exercise among a community who also share similar goals. I’ve not had a pinch of cake, ice cream or pizza this week either. Guess what? I’m in no need of a coroner’s hold either!!! Have an awesomely lived weekend and here’s to getting fit. Best of success Tami Mills-Merrill & Beth McCall Moore #Encourage #diet #Cr

FITx50 \ week 21 was spent on another adventure out West. While the endless walking involved in what is Las Vegas was exhausting, I’m not sure it counts as exercise. Not when buffets, pizzas, fancy foods and snacks bookend each journey. Encouraging was the wisdom to avoid the slots, and keeping up a frantic pace. Between solving the CSI exhibit’s mystery and helicoptering / boating / hiking the Grand Canyon, I held up pretty good. Christmas was also wonderful to return home t

FITx50 \ week 19 This is my favorite Christmas picture for several reasons. For purposes of this post, the expressions illustrate the yin and yang of fitness and dieting. Santa’s look is how I feel after I blow my diet. The sly grinning kiddo is how I feel once I’ve logged in the exercise and managed to avoid the sweets. I also think its funny because the photographer failed to notice the “horned” candles behind Santa’s head. This week, I can say my FITx50 focus sided with th