The Rewards of Fatherhood, Fitness and Frugality

I filmed this little video a while back. My daughters and I were on a movie date. My oldest was a little upset with me because we were late. You see, the 2011 CrossFit Games were re-running on ESPN and I made her watch. She was a little less than enthused I was delaying our departure just so we could watch people exercise. Ha! I wasn’t surprised by her reaction but I did want to make sure she saw what some of the women of the Games were capable of doing.

We finally made it to the movies. As expected, due to our tardiness, the line was a bit long. So again, my daughter expressed her displeasure with me. She also expressed the fact that she didn’t understand why I thought the ladies were so great. She said, “They have too many muscles anyway.”

Wait? What??? I told her she had to be kidding. I said, those women are beautiful. And, I told her, they have just the right amount of muscles. I also asked wouldn’t she rather be strong than not? I was actually surprised when she said she wasn’t sure. With that, I’m asking the women of CrossFit and the fitness world to help me convince my daughters that it is ok to be strong. My oldest is in middle school and at a vulnerable age where boys notice her and she cares about how she smells. Ha! But I don’t want that to turn into devaluing or limiting all the things she can be in life to fit a mold that may not be meant for her. Isn’t that the worst thing a young girl can allow herself to do? Diminish her own possibilities?

So again, I’m asking the fit ladies out there to leave a comment for my daughters. Let them know why strong is also beautiful.

This month, HBO is running “Larry Crowne“. A Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts movie. (That’s a lot of coin on the screen at the same time.) In the movie, Tom belonged a gang of motor bike enthusiasts. But not any motor bike. A very special one. And I have to say, ever since seeing this movie I cannot get this little beauty off my mind:

Why can’t I stop thinking about it? That’s easy. This is it what inpires those thoughts:

What’s funny is I had the same epiphany Tom had in the movie. Thus his getting rid of his gigantic SUV gas guzzler and getting this beauty. I may have to get this thing this summer. I’m sure it’s much more efficient on gas. It may not be sexy, but neither is spending half a Benjamin on filling your tank.

The other day while trying to catch up on the scores at that weekend’s regional events of the 2012 Reebok CrossFit Games, I noticed one of my favorite CrossFitter/blogger’s tweets, which read:

I have to say, while his post I’m sure was meant to make a statement about the potential response of the T-Mobile customer service team, that’s not what stood out to me about his tweet. My thought was, “Wow, this dude knows to the dollar, and probably the penny, what he spent on this T-Mobile bill over a five year period!” And while I was duly impressed, I was also somewhat ashamed that I do not know the exact to the penny amount I’ve spent on my own phone bill over the last half decade. Shouldn’t I?

Yes, I should. Especially if I’m going to be speaking to others about knowing what they are spending their money on to get a better handle on their savings and finances. Although I’m not excusing myself, it’s not that I don’t know to some useful degree, where my money goes. I have over the years taken the tact it is better not to be penny wise and pound foolish. Thus in most of my personal financial management I have concentrated my efforts on managing my investments and earning income.

But something about Web’s post still made me feel like I was failing in some way. “I should know my number,” I thought. I often tell (and sometimes chastise) my daughters for not appreciating how hard it is to earn and work for money, when at dinner time they scrape the last bit of veggies in the garbage. My head immediately starts to think, that’s a waste of money. But I’m doing the same thing to myself. How much money do I scrape into the garbage? Whether it’s a few pennies or a few thousand dollars, it all spends. And what Web reminded me was that those little expenses add up over time.

I am not sure if Benjamin Franklin was the first to say this but one of his great axioms was,

From little strokes fell great oaks.

Years ago, when I was trying my best to take care of the little things, I knew where every penny went. It wasn’t even that hard to track. I simply used a nice personal finance software package, spent a few minutes a week with it, and voila. But over time, as life gets more complex and incredibly busy, we forget the little things matter. And those little things have a compounding effect over time. I had forgotten that. No more. While it is likely more important to be pound wise and penny foolish, why be foolish at all? I think it’s so much better to be wise in both. So that’s my plan from now on. Now to get the receipts out.

I have made half-hearted attempts at going Paleo in the past but now I think I’m really going to give it a go. The hardest thing for me to give up will be the bread, pizza and bagels. (Wait, that’s all bread right?) But I’ve now heard from enough people and listened to their anectdotal evidence to jump in with both feet.

I put together this little example menu inspired by an old diet plan Lee Labrada published years ago. I just fixed up to suit my Paleo and my athletic needs. Sometimes, those two things are in conflict but I try to resolve them as best I can. One thing I definitely took to heart is Cordain’s 85/15 rule where he states in The Paleo Answer,

…if you are 85% compliant with the diet most of the time, significant improvements in your health can occur. The other 15%… are open meals, meaning you can choose to eat a normal amount that fall outside the diet plan.

Trust me. I’m going to take full advantage of that little Paleo loophole. I listed my typical cheats in a section on the diet plan. Let me know what you think of the thing and I welcome any feedback, comments or suggestions.

Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its shams, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

- Max Ehrmann

My "computer" bag.

CrossFit teaches us to be ready for the unknown and unknowable. I guess I’ve taken that to heart somewhat. My computer bag contains everything but the computer. Unless you count the iPad. But it does contain everything I might need in an low-grade emergency. Bandages, athletic tape, books, pens, ground coffee (yes, ground coffee), weapons (non-lethal), overnight garments, toothpaste, ibuprofen and can forget the gymnastics rings and jumprope. You never know when a wod will jump off.

What’s in your bag?