Love and Marriage, Love and Marriage....

I recently read this blog post. http://sethadamsmith.com/2013/11/02/marriage-isnt-for-you/

I understand his message however when I married Jennifer Lee Kaiser I did it because I wanted to have that union. To have that expression of love that I could share with the world. 

No I understand that not everyone really cares or needs to know that I am married and that I found my soul mate but thats not what its about anyway and I don't think its about marrying for the sole reason its for the other people. 

I believe its commitment shown to each other, AS IS the commitment of two in love that choose NOT to be married. 

You don't HAVE to be married to show your love, I chose to, I chose to celebrate my love with my friends and family, I chose to be happily walking down that aisle and waiting to see my wife to be. It was not for religion, it was not for her, and it was not for me, it was for US, it was for our love. 

Express it anyway you want, but if you love and you stay with the one you love, marriage or not its for you. Love man... its pretty cool

Luke Sidewalker

One year ago today Luke passed to the bridge he was Jen and my first boxer and he is who got us started into Boxer Rescue as we wanted him to have his Leia (on the right). 

When we got him he was this skinny little big head that had the biggest kidney bean possible it was love at first sight. 

Luke was near 11 and full of life to the end, he was so gentle and loving and could put a smile on your face with a look. He helped Lovey into the pack and was our home visit puppy up until his retirement when Chewie took over. 

As you can see Luke was controlling the puppy that was fostering with us

He took his job very seriously (something Chewie has mimicked to the very core). 

Han today now has taken on so many of Luke characteristics.

He was a huge part of our lives and a void will always be felt but for what we lost this day 1 year ago Luke gave us 1000 times over that rests in a special place in our hearts. Here is the very last picture I took of Luke

Rest easy my boy, We love you.

Scentsy - A Man's Perspective

Scentsy - A Man's Perspective

Matt's view of Scentsy:

I started off as a loyal, supportive Scentsy Husband. I just wanted to watch my wife live Scentsy and enjoy her “hobby” and help out a little here and there. I hadn’t gone to any parties or events and just wanted be in the background to what she loved doing. Then the first warmer arrived and some scents. I immediately saw some potential in what was happening and being shown. As each new warmer came and each new scent delivered I became more and more hooked on Scentsy. I attended my first Scentsy function at Spring Sprint in 2013 and started to really see what Scentsy was about, but this was just a small sample to the Scentsy Family Reunion in Indianapolis in July 2013. That was the eye opener. I saw lawyers walk away from Law Firms, Mothers who overcome life events that would break most people and the bond of a “family” that I have not seen in most today. I use Family as that what Scentsy has become, you could feel it with the over 8000 people in Lucas Oil stadium during every day of the convention. People were full of joy, companionship and energy it was infectious. We as individuals are always looking in our lives for that true happiness, that joy and fellowship that can elude most forever. I felt that Scentsy was that during that convention. I came back from the family reunion in Indy closer to my wife and closer to a dream. One that was full of happiness. I believe Scentsy is a big part of that and will be a big part of our lives for many many years. I can "Scents" it.

The Path leads ever ON.....

Well I started a normal run today and found myself with no end in sight. I just could not bring myself to stop the run. What was supposed to be a 5 KM run turned into 14KM today. I was lost in thought didn't know which way I was going but I stayed on the path so I would not get lost.

The path seemed so peaceful even though the highway was off to the distance and I could hear cars driving past, they just became white noise. I seemed distant and lost in my head I was all over the place on the path weaving side to side. I had no focus and I keep seeing these black dots in my vision. Tiny little specks I looked it up they seem harmless pointed that my eyes are just getting older. If they persist I will contact my doctor. 

I came across this building. Thought that if I was being chased by zombies it would be a good point to defend. I always think like this. Not sure why. I have more plans to survive the zombie outbreak than I do living my normal life. Why is that. Drives me nuts. Notice the Corrosive Waning... WTF is in there lol.

then I came across this. It was under the 64th avenue Bridge. Someone set up some camp there. Looks to be sleeping there for some time as there is a 50L water jug a small bed roll and some sleeping bags. Good as place as any I suppose for them to live. I always thought that it wasnt terrible to live like that if you could eat and get water and keep somewhat warm. I would miss my puppies and my wife terribly but I suppose if Im in that state of mind I wouldnt know what I was missing. But it seems so simple that it could be so easy to fall into with no responsibility. 

But then I got back on the path. Back to where I came from with again no thoughts in my head that really mattered. I just kept running back with nothing in my head sorted out. Probably more confused than anything. I just cant seem to get anything straight in my head. It sucks I am finding no motivation anywhere. Money is not the factor here. The Money is just what I need so someone else doesn't take what I have earned. It means nothing more than that to me. I think that if I could just live with no money and eat and be warm and love I could just be happy. but again it seems so simplistic. Im guessing that Im going through a bit of a mid life crisis which I guess takes me back onto my path. So I guess Ill keep running, running on that path, The one that seems to go ever on.

 I wonder if I will find my destination soon

Stumbling On My Path: WBBR PUB NIGHT FUNDRAISER - SUNDAY August 25th - G...

Stumbling On My Path: WBBR PUB NIGHT FUNDRAISER - SUNDAY August 25th - G...: FINALLY!!! The much anticipated event of the year is here!!!       Sunday August 25th, 2013 Burnaby Firefighters Club, 6515...

Run Fatboy Run...

So you want to run? Congrats. Im happy for you. Running is a commitment to be sure. Starting with a goal is the smartest thing even I didnt have that when I started I just ran (Run Fatboy Run). 

Here are some tips I learned right away for running. 

Buy a GOOD pair of Runners. Make sure they are comfortable durable and somewhat resistent to water (you can get a spray) and can breath so your feet dont overheat. 

Buy comfortable clothes or at least wear them for running (nothing too loose that can cause accidents) and nothing too tight as it can restrict blood flow and affect your run. I wear lululemon dry fit shirts and a pair of Nike Pants (you can wear shorts and it does not have to be nike or lululemon by any means). 

For your shoes, pop into a Running Room or Rackets and Runners or the Right Shoe or some store like those. Specifically a running store. They will get you to take off your shoes, crouch down, watch you walk, etc.. They might also want to look at the wear pattern on your existing runners so wear those when you go in, tell them what you are doing, what kind of distance and what kind of terrain. If they don't ask or aren't interested in the information, go somewhere else. 

With regards to types of shoes, don't get hung up on a name brand. Sometimes the brand/model changes from time to time. there is no silver bullet with shoes. Shoes + form + proper training = success (where success is defined as pain free running)

The only pain you should feel is in your muscles as you kick yourself from one level to another

Buy Running Socks. Do not use normal cotton socks as they dont let your feet breath. I didn't think these would be important but they are for comfort and not getting blisters. 

That's a good start for equipment (also a running rain coat may be needed if you melt in the rain) I personally love running in the rain and when I am quite wet so I dont wear one as of now. 

I find whats important is having something (a GPS tool) to track my runs. this will help me in seeing my time and length improvements. you can get free ones on the iphone or samsung but I paid for mine ($3.99 for the Nike run app which is great and $9.99 for the Zombies Run one which is so much fun but full of lots of bugs) you can also use your normal GPS on your phone but you have to track your own runs and improvements

For running 

STRETCH... every run before and after STRETCH for the love of god if you dont you will regret this no matter how it feels when you do. It will feel worse if you pull a muscle or the next day after no stretch (by the way the next day will be sore and tight no matter how much you stretch but do it anyway) 

Start Short. Give yourself a small target. I did 2KM at the start and dont give yourself a crazy time to finish it in. Run 1 KM outside your house turnaround and run back to start only dont worry about your time but note it for your next runs. I would suggest as you feel your body adjust you can increase your runs but more on that later. For example my very first run I was 252 pounds and I ran 2 KM in 22 mins slow and steady I am now 215 pounds and run 12KM each time in 1 hour and 20 minutes . 

Start also with a light jog nothing to fast and dont push yourself the first few days get comfortable with the run and distance and then when you are comfortable increase  and increase it each time you feel comfortable with your new distance. 

Injuries - don't be afraid to take time off if something is feeling weird. you won't lose fitness that quickly. What you lose is motivation so if you need to take a break for a knee or back or something make sure you are being true to yourself for it. Dont risk it but dont find excuses. once you get into a rythm of running you will find its quite enjoyable. Also run different routes if you find you are getting bored with your run, it changes things up. 

Times - find a time that you can run when nothing else will interrupt your schedule and when you think you will have the most energy. I run at 8 am to about 9:30 am when Im alone and have nothing scheduled. Find that time for you - its important to do. 

Focus and Concentration - This I find may be the most important factor in the run, an app that gives you music or tracking becomes background noise at times but you need to focus on your run and environment (cars, people, road condition, animals - ESPECIALLY animals) if you focus on your run and concentrate on your area you will be fine and see a dramatic change in your runs and conditioning.

One last thing.. FORCE yourself to run when you are not wanting to. Get past that first 1KM and your body will kick into the rhythm  Your body will try to tell you to stop it hurts, stop this is not right, stop you cant do it, but get past the first hurdle and the rest will take its course. 

See you on the road

Derailed...... by a Train

well I got Derailed on my run today for about 2 or 3 mins by a train. I did run my best ever run of 12 KM in 1 hour and 24 minutes. Yeah that is huge for me. Im extremely happy with that. I have also now dropped 27 pounds WOOO HOOO.... man I was carrying some serious extra weight. I feel so much better. I recevived lots of inquires by other runners today on where my Boxers were.... they are not happy they are not running this week :( Im in the doo doo.

My pups after I get back. I get the look of guilt

Running in the Rain....

Running in the rain is great. Not sure why so many dislike it. I keep warm by running and motivated by wanting to get home as fast as possible. I like the wet against my face but dont like the wet in my shoes. my new shoes are actually pretty great.

they are light breath well and really kick back the water so it doesn't soak in. I had my feet crushed in a roller coaster accident when I was 7 so cold/wet feet are bad for me. These shoes really help. I picked them up at the running room for $149. So far so good.

I have lost 27 pounds now since I started running 2 months ago on March 19th. I have 20 to go. Im hoping... no Im aiming to have that done by this time in June. My knee felt great today and I took yesterday off which I think was a wise move. I also did my best run today for 8KM in 54 minutes. which is an average of 6:45 per KM. Im very happy with that. .....

happy trails

Bugs, Bugs, and more Bugs....

Todays Run was filled with bugs, not the ones that fly around and annoy the hell out of you when running/jogging but the other kinds

1. Bugs - The first bug was the fact my knee was bugging me immensely for the first part of the run so I had to stay at a steady jog until it warmed up. Once I got into the rhythm and my knee was warmed up I could go for a decent run and work up a sweat. I think that Im at a fitness level now that minor jogs just dont work that sweat up anymore. When I get back from my runs now I wrap my knee in a tensor bandage... just to have it feel a little more secure while I rest.

2. Bugs - The GPS was really a issue today with bugs.. technical ones. mid way through my run the GPS on Zombies, Run! quit working, and crashed. I thought I lost my run data and had to start the same mission again but on a shorter scale as I was over half done my run. When I uploaded the link it loaded both missions but I lost 1KM data on my run. That was disappointing. However I did able to save most of the run data and add it together to get an idea of how my run went (add 1KM and about 100 calories) I cant say if this was an issue with the new IOS on the iphone 4 or if its a issue with the game application itself.

Distance:	10.66 km
Duration:	1:42:36
Average Speed:	6.08 km/h
Average Pace:	9:78 min/km
Calories:	1087
Supplies:	48 collected

3. Bugs - People... they bug me today. I cant believe how many people left their dog poop on the trails/sidewalks. I picked up 4 different doo doos. It really bugged me today. They were in not very noticeable by people and someone was going to step in it so I picked it up since I had bags.... why walk your dog and not pick up. its 2 seconds sigh....Look this little dude can do it... other people should too.

Running and Puppies - The After Effects

I run a fair amount now. Up to 40Km in a week over a 4 day period. This is what it looks like when my dogs are with me afterwards

Han is coming on 9 years old. This is Han after a 10K run

Chewbacca is coming on 7 years old. This is Chewie after a 10K run

Lovey is just past 1 year old. This is Lovey after a 10K run

Can you spot the Difference????

:D

I've Lost 25 pounds in 49 Days. ASK ME HOW

........... no this is no informercial. Reality is I have worked my ass off. Ive been running now for 49 days. I weighed in at 250 and now sit today 225.. I have 20 to go but that is a great job I must say...

But today Im pissed. Terrible run. My puppies bless those boxers couldnt keep up in the humid air so I will have to rearrange how I run with them, however that is not what bugged me today. Its the fact that no less than 10 dogs were off leash again in leashed zones. I dont understand why that doesnt apply to those people. Its a BYLAW... it nots a suggestion people. And dont say my dog is ok when you are scrambling to grab them and put them on leash when you see my dogs. obviously they are not great off leash.

ugh

I just want to run with my dogs and not be bothered. but now with the hot weather I may not be able to run them as much as before. its still cool in the morning but you can feel the humidity and heat so they are having issues. I cant risk that so Ill run mostly on my own. poor guys will be sad.

as you can tell Lovey is NOT happy at this...

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better run.

Zombies, Run also having some glitches in season 2. Last run it was the GPS messing up today it was teh time. it said I ran at 1 am ... um unless I was a zombie at 1 am I wasn't running. Great run for stats and condition but it could have been way better

Distance:	8 km
Duration:	1:11:46
Average Speed:	6.69 km/h
Average Pace:	8:58 min/km
Calories:	918

Run 24 - Man those Zombies can run.... but we out ran them..(Delta Nature Reserve)

Distance:	10.39 km
Duration:	1:34:11
Average Speed:	6.62 km/h
Average Pace:	9:04 min/km
Calories:	1196

That was today.... wow thats a big run however the time is not as important as in the last KM and a bit I cool down and it adjusts my time immensely. Usually Im in the 8 minutes to 8 1/4 mins per KM range. My 2 boxers tend to slow me down a bit as well. When I start out on my run I usually can get into 4 KM in about 24 minutes (6 mins per KM).

One thing that is really bugging me of late is the amount of dogs OFF leash in the areas I run with my dogs. they are leashed areas and should be on leash but apparently the rules do not apply to those people. About 50% of the dogs I encounter off leash usually cause a problem with mine.

Oh where do I run you ask?

Delta Nature Reserve in North Delta.. Its a fantastic place to run or even walk. lots of green and shade and part sun so you dont over heat or get burnt.

Its a marvellous place and you should check it out if you want a nice quiet relaxing walk.

Todays walk went a little further than normal as I wanted to check out some really great neighbourhoods in the vicinity.

If you are going to walk the area around the homes expect lots of hills...

Have a great day.

P.S. this is my boy Han after the 10K very pooped

Zombies, RUN!

I have started losing weight. In fact I have shed 20 pounds of fat since March 19th. How? I have ran my ass off. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday I run with my boxers. Each day averages roughly 8km and just over an hour. To keep interested in doing it each day I have purchased Zombies, Run the application for the Iphone that is turning out pretty awesome. 

https://www.zombiesrungame.com/ is the website for the game. While it does have some glitches it really does add to my running experience. I have completed 23 missions so far and have run 145km, for 23 hours and over 15000 calories burnt. I have to say I feel good. 

The application starts you off pretty easy, you are in a helicopter and on your way to one of the last outposts of human existence in England when your Chopper gets shot down and you have to Run from the Zombies to get to safety. You meet people on the way, bad and good and have missions you need to run to collect supplies for your town and its people. It has twists and turns and does not get boring, the voice actors have done a really nice job keep it fresh and interesting and you get "cliffhangers" in some episodes. 

One thing that has been bugging me of late is my knee has not been taking well to the heavy pounding of what used to be 250 pounds... now Im at 230 pounds however the toll has been taken. I have used a support neopreen brace which proved ineffective and now I just wrap it with a standard bandage wrap which seems to give it more support than I thought it would. 

Im also trying something different... Humic Health Soil Enhancer.. 

http://cascadianplantfood.com/humic_health.htm

you may think what the hell is that? Well its really Magic Dirt :D. 

the wikipedia entry reads as 

Humic acid is a principal component of humic substances, which are the major organic constituents of soil (humus), peat, coal, many upland streams, dystrophic lakes, and oceanwater

 

I like it as Magic Dirt, my brother says it helps heal his cuts in 1/4 the time than any polysporin or cream. I have taken it for 2 days and unlike taking vitamins that make your urine go neon yellow this Magic Dirt (and it is dirt) makes mine looks as clear as the Queen Charlotte Islands water... I take 1 teaspoon with 2 glasses of water (1 to originally take it and another glass to wash it down as it is kind of  chunky and doesnt taste great) 

Im going to try this for a while and see if I notice any magical Wolverine healing properties... but if I grow and extra limb Im going to have a talk with my bro....