The Punisher: Episode I

Main Entry: pun·ish·ment
Pronunciation: 'p&-nish-m&nt
Function: noun
1 : the act of punishing
2 a : suffering, pain, or loss that serves as retribution b : a penalty inflicted on an offender through judicial procedure
3 : severe, rough, or disastrous treatment

I started training for next year's marathons six weeks ago. I have been lifting weights, running like a mad man, and trying my best to swim as much as I can, and to stretch daily. It started as highly motivated self improvement project, but slowly mutated into an obsession.

To be honest, I don't really know what my goals from training are, but I know that if I wanted to put muscles on, I wouldn't be running all that running. And if I wanted to run faster, I wouldn't bother with all that strength training. And if I just wanted to be healthy, I would just take stairs at work every now and then and I will be fine.

In those six weeks, I've seen a lot of improvement on my physical abilities. As I can do twenty pull ups straight and I can run 3 miles in about 18 minutes, or sprint a mile in sub 5 minutes. I tried to climb a rope for the first time, and it wasn't so easy, but I did it. I tried open water swimming, it wasn't easy, but I finished. I've lost an inch of my waist, and I've put an inch on my arms.

All of that sounds like I am in good shape and I am feeling great. Right?

WRONG!

I am not going to lie here, I feel like shit! My upper body is in constant pain, and my legs are always on recovery mode unless I am running. The only time that I am feeling good or no pain, is the time I spend going through the punishment of training. I have become my own punisher.

I hate to be a quitter, and if I go "emo" and quit training because I don't know my goals are, I will be nothing but another quitter. So you know what, I am going to crazy with it. I am going to set a goal of being the best possible shape I can ever be. I am going to transform my self into a Frank Castle. I will* put on nine extra kilograms by December, will* drop my body fat, will* swim a mile, will* bench 225lbs 10 times and I will* run a Marathon in sub 3 hours.

Fuck it! See ya in another six weeks!

The Montage

On Thursday's night I went out to City Center -I gigantic mall in the west bay of Doha, no where near the actual city center - to watch 300. Unfortunately, due to the lack of other name worthy movies playing, all shows were already sold out. So movie night had to be delayed to Friday.

So last night, instead of heading to the mall again, I got the DVD of Rocky Balboa. It was quite the usual good guy does well in the end, but I felt that it had some encoded messages with some value to them. I felt it was a conservatives' movie.

I personally don't think that is quote is directed only to Rocky's son. It is directed to all of those "I need to find someone to blame for my misfortunes out there", and if you read carefully, you might see where it is headed.

Let me tell you something you already know, the world isn't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or anybody. It is going to hit us as hard as life, but it isn't about as hard you hit, it is about how much you can get hit and keep moving forward. It is about how much you can take and keep moving forward, thats how winning is done. Now if you know what you are worth, go out and get what you're worth, but you've got to be willing to take the hits. And not pointing fingers and say you aren't what you want to be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that isn't you. You're better than that!

Of course, the movie had its montage. It wasn't as colorful as the one in Rocky III, or as dramatic as the one in Rocky IV. I think it made up for the whole horrible piece crap called Rocky V. If Rambo 4 is as entertaining as this was, I might just forgive 60 year old Sly for trying to import GH.

Let me leave you to the greatest Rocky inspired montage of all time. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zixAjmrmn6g