I need your opinion on something:

I have an opportunity of taking pictures at Talladega Superspeedway on Halloween this year. Amp Energy Drink is throwing an after race party at the track, and my buddy Steve the photographer has gotten the job of taking pics at the party, but he needs an additional photographer. He has asked me to go with him to take pics, and I’m really excited about this opportunity because it pays $300 and I might get to see/meet a lot of NASCAR drivers.

The downside of this is that I have never been to the race track and going on Halloween might take away from my trip to Talladega in April 2010. What do you think? Should I do it or not? I created a poll on the right hand side of this page. Please vote on the poll.

Honestly, I probably will not go because I want April 2010 to be a really special trip.

About yesterday: I didn’t exercise on Thursday because I was sore from Wed’s workout and I was extremely tired all day. I must have moved my CPAP mask while sleeping because I was mega tired all day.

This morning I walked a mile and I plan on working out this evening.

Here’s an email from Danny Haralson to me about my training:

Let’s mix it up – but tell me if I’m over reaching you…..I’d like for you to be walking 2 miles non-stop within the next week (by 9/26). There are several ‘flat places’ around measure perfectly and we’ll run [walk] a couple of them….I know you’ve walked 2 laps and the ‘Hill of Death’ so let’s try this…..
Day 1: .75 (equivalent of 3 laps) Today
Day 2: .75
Day 3: 1 mile (4 laps) (Sunday?)
Day 4: .75
Day 5: 1.25 mile
Day 6: Rest (Wed. ?)
Day 7: 1.50
Day 8: 1.25
Day 9: 2 miles

Let’s see how this works – then after that I’d to find one day to do ‘hills’ where you start out climbing the hill 2 times and each week add 1 more trip up….this would be an additional ‘workout’ (like the morning of an evening run or the evening of a morning run). It will increase your strength and raise your metabolism AGAIN, so that you double your calorie burn. If we can hit 2 miles by 9/26 ‘ish’, then we have almost 14 days to get to 3.5 miles before the Race for the Cure so that you start out (and finish) the race with 100% confidence. Here’s the mind set – Stephen, you are ‘focused’ on the weight loss for Talledega and that’s cool – But! YOU are also an athlete in training! You are training for the 5K and the 10K – there are challenges,but you CAN meet them and as you meet these challenges, by training like the athlete you are then the other goals will all into place…..It doesn’t matter how fast or slow you are or whether you are running or walking – you are still an athlete, and you ARE in training. So put that schedule in place and start TRAINING! Cover the distance! If you have to stop to catch your breath do it, then go on. The Navy Seals have a saying, “The only easy day was yesterday” Add that to the SeaBee’s motto of “Can do” – no matter the task, how impossible the order, their response is CAN DO! Come on, let’s see Stephen the athlete and let’s make some miles! Thoughts?

–Danny Haralson