Back in the Game!

I know, you were probably thinking I had quit completely and you were never again going to read one of my honest and hilarious blogs.  Guess again!!  I'm back and ready to hit it hard.

Since the lsat time we spoke, I have had a lot going on.  First, Mrs. Re-Dan-imation and myself went on a little fall break vacation up to Michigan, I helped with the Jaycees Halloween party to benefit a local program for adults with special needs, the Cubs won the World Series, we held a presidential election, and my team competed in the Lego League competition this past Saturday.  Needless to say, there has been a LOT of things take place.  Let's tackle them a little at a time.

Michigan was a blast.  The weather was basically perfect for fall break.  Although some people may not consider that to be true.  We were able to relax and enjoy the scenery at the John Ball Zoo and the Frederick Meijer Gardens.  We visited with our friends that moved to Michigan recently.  I had a great beer every day (Grand Rapids is known as Beer City, USA), we did a little outlet mall shopping,  had some great food,  and even went out to Lake Michigan for about 15 minutes through a cool park. I would definitely go back if for no other reason than to get another bowl of Grand Traverse Whiskey Fig ice cream from Love's Ice Cream.  Hands down the finest cup of ice cream I have had in my entire life.

Just a few of the fun things we did in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Since those wonderful days in Michigan, we have been quite busy around the Re-Dan-imation household.  The Halloween party is always a fun event to hold and this year was no different.  Although I didn't dress up this year, I still had a great time!  If you ever get a chance to participate in something like this I highly suggest you do it.  For that matter, if you ever get the chance to be a part of some sort of civic organization, you should totally do it.  Giving back to your community is a great thing to do and leaves you with a great sense of pride.  One of our next events will be shopping for needy families for the holidays.

The decorations on the table I was stationed at for the Halloween party.

This was quickly followed up by that crazy election we just had.  I'm not gonna get on any political high horse here or even share my opinions on the election as a whole.  What I will say is that regardless of who you voted for and whether or not they won or lost, the recent violence at protests and hate mongering through vandalism is unacceptable.  As Forrest Gump would say, "That's all I have to say about tha-at."

This past weekend a group of 7 students that I help coach participated in their Lego League competition.  Although the scores didn't quite fall the way we had hoped, the kids had a great time and were super proud of themselves.  Every competition is a learning experience for both the students and the coaches and we will come back next year just a little bit stronger than we were this year.

As we get to this point, I am sure you are wondering whether or not I am going to tell you about my progress towards my fitness goals.  Well, here we go.  Last Monday, I stepped on the scale for the first time in a while.  It showed 279.8.  That means that I have gained back roughly 15 of the 30 pounds I had lost in the last year.  I am looking at it from both directions.  It is unacceptable that I let it creep back up on me.  It is also good that I caught it again before it got to the point where I was right back where I started.  Having seen that, last week I got 2 runs in and monitored everything that went in my body with MyFitnessPal.  And then...I forgot to get on the scale this morning before I ate breakfast...D'oh!  It's ok.  I will check back in next week (before Thanksgiving) which is right before I began my self inflicted plateau last year.  I have a little better feeling going into the holidays this year.  Last year, I thought they were going to be no big deal because I was getting in my workouts and didn't think I really had to worry about a couple days.  This year, I am well aware of the impact that the holidays can have and I will be prepared.

I am again doing the Drumstick Dash this year to benefit Wheeler Mission.  If you remember last year I was super pumped and all of you helped me to raise an additional $600 to benefit the mission.  I am trying to fund-race again this year and at this moment sit at $260.  I would absolutely love to hit $1000 and be able to provide 444 meals through the kindness of all of your hearts.  I have included a video as well as a link to my fund-racing page right HERE.  It is also linked on the right side of this blog page.  Please consider giving even if you think it is a small amount.  Every $2.25 that is raised provides 1 meal for a homeless person.  I can't think of a better thing to support for the Thanksgiving holiday.  With that being said...until next time. Food. Feet. Water. Repeat.

The Great Pumpkin Run Race Recap

Well, I did it.  I completed another event that I signed up for.  This would be the first race I have run since June.  October 8th, I participated in The Great Pumpkin Run that was held at Dull's Tree Farm.  This was definitely a new experience for me.  This is the first time I have run on any kind of terrain other than pavement or a treadmill.  The course went over harvested corn fields and gravel roads.  The tracks left from the tractors provided for some very uneven ground.  I even almost went down at one point when I lost my footing.

This was another race that was signed up as a large group.  Myself, Mrs. Re-Danimation (her first 5K) and her parents, along with a group of friends.  Many of us also participated in the additional challenge of carrying a pumpkin for the entire 5K to earn an extra medal if we could complete the entire distance with the pumpkin in our arms.  I'll admit, I chose a pretty small pumpkin as I knew the distance and terrain were going to be my main concerns.  I did finish with the pumpkin and earned both medals.  We spent another little while walking around the pumpkin patch and tree farm and then headed home to prepare for our evening plans.  This is the first time in quite a while that I have seen over 20,000 steps in one day.

Speaking of steps, I have switched platforms from FitBit to Garmin.  When my FitBit Charge HR died completely recently I chose to pick up a Garmin activity tracker that also gives golf yardages.  I was under the impression that the steps would sync with my FitBit account, but soon found out that only recorded activities and not daily steps transferred.  Oh well.  I chose to switch and I am sticking with it.  I can't wait to use it for the first time during a round of golf.  It should be pretty nice to just look at my wrist for yards to the green instead of having to wake my phone each time.  Not that I am good enough to need exact yardages, but it's not like anything could make my golf game much worse.

After finishing our 5K many of use were involved in hosting the first Oktoberfest in Frankfort in about 20 years.  The Frankfort Jaycees and Frankfort Main Street put on the event.  Myself and many of my buddies in the Jaycees were responsible for the admission gate as well as the most important part...the beer.  We spent the remainder of the evening having a great time listening to Polkamotion and serving all the beers we could handle.  The event seemed to go smoothly and we are looking forward to only make it better in the years to come.

As I write this my wife and I are enjoying a much deserved short vacation.  Since we were a little busy with the hospital in the middle of the summer, we were unable to take our vacation we had planned then.  I love the fall and feel like these type of short trips sometimes end up to be my favorite.

On another note, I am participating in the Drumstick Dash for the second year in a row.  This year I am again Fund-racing.  This means I am raising money to help feed the homeless in Indy.  You may not live in Indianapolis, but helping those less fortunate than yourself is helping mankind no matter what your location.  Wheeler Mission does what it can to help those that are struggling more than we are.  I am begging you to do what you can to help this worthy cause.  You can click on the Fund-racing link located directly on this page.  All of your donations are tax deductible.

Seeing as I am on vacation currently, I am unable to accurately check my progress regarding my weight.  I will do so soon and update you at that time. Also, I would like to say good luck to my brother and his wife as both of their bands will be competing in Semi-State this coming weekend.  Best wishes to all F. J. Reitz and Castle Band members.  Until next time....Food. Feet. Water. Repeat.