AAU track and field

My kids are the greatest gift I have ever gotten. They have made it to Regionals.

The final challnege

Last year’s challenge was very hard and took over 2 hours to complete. They took a whole bunch of dirt and filled a hole 10X10X4 then after that was done they took 3 tons of rock and move it into a truck by hand. This whole year some of the challenges were the same and they just knew that because it was going to be at the same location, the challenge was going to be the same. Well, surprise surprise, they were very shocked when they found out it wasn’t what they thought.



This year they had to take two pavers weighing over 200 pounds apiece and run them in a relay. Only one person could move it at a time and they were to pass it, like a relay to their team mate who would them pass it again until everyone on that team had run with it 30 meters.



Then when that was done they had to move a 700 pound bale of hay another 30 meters, end over end, in relay style. This time two could only go at a time. Once they got to one side they had to turn the bale of hay around for the next two people.



Once that was complete, they then had to take 3 tons of wet lime stone and move it 50 meters passed a line. Every bit of that lime stone had to be moved before a winner could be declared. Vic’s team won the final challenge but it was close. Congrats to his team.


As I had mentioned to the challengers, this may have been a final challenge but it is not THE FINAL CHALLENGE. That challenge comes as soon as they put on their regular cloths and go back to their life every day. What are you going to do when life starts throwing you curve balls and the excitement of the competition is gone? This is the real challenge. I hope I have prepared them for that time to come.

Volleyball

It is one thing to play volleyball in a gym on a hard floor and it is totally something different when you are playing on sand. I found out the sand moves and to get your footing for a spike is almost impossible.

This week the WLC played volleyball. They broke into two teams and for giggles I had another team which consisted of Sally (WLC trainer), Jodi, Kathy (WLC trainer), Sue and me. We went against Vic and his team, Mary, Mark, Marsha, Steve, and Darcey and Rick and his team, Josh B, Josh F, Debbie, Tracie and Krista.

This was a round robin game were you can score points both on offense and defense and each game was to 15. In the end Vic’s team had the most wins at 3 followed by Rick’s team at 2 wins and bring up the rear Sally’s team with just 1 win.



Then we came back and had the weigh-in. If I told you that this was getting interesting I would not doing it any justice. At this time for the first two years we pretty mu knew who was going to be the clear winner. This year, over the last four weeks we have had different leaders. We have had Rick as the leader than Mary than Tracie. Here is the latest top 10



Name Pounds lost Percentage lost

10) Steve Foust 45.2 pounds 13.76%
9) Mark Meinhardt 40.2 pounds 14.10%
8) Debbie Lorenz 49.8 pounds 15.95%
7) Darcey Lowerre 31.8 Pounds 16.38%
6) Krista O’Brian 55.2 pounds 19.23%
5) Tracie Brasch 65.4 pounds 26.65%
4) Josh Branham 88.4 pounds 27.12%
3) Richard Andrus 107.8 pounds 27.29%
2) Vic Glassey 91.2 pounds 27.94%
1) Mary Schiefelbein 61.2 pounds 29.20%

The Yellow Brick Road

How many times in your life has someone told you that you could not do something either because of and physical or mental issue? How many times have you heard that you were too old to do something or you were not smart enough to do something?
Over the last four months these challengers have run miles, lifted more weight than ever before, gotten a mental hold on their eating habits, Kayaked over a half mile, played indoor soccer, and now run a 5k (3.1 miles) in under 45 minutes. The fastest time was 28 minutes which turns out to be about 9 minute miles. This is after I was told that she could never and would never run that consistent.
Take into consideration that some of them are suffering with ACL issues and lower back pains, physical disabilities which after the challenge is over could lead to surgeries, with all that said they put that aside and GOT IT DONE.














I hope over the last 5 months they have inspired you all to GET IT DONE. This is the last month and it is heating up now. Stay tuned for THE FINAL WEIGH-IN. Who will win, nobody knows.

The Kayak Challenge

Last year at this same time on this same weekend the Weight loss challenge people were to hold their water challenge. It is was to be a quarter mile lake course that they were to kayak. It never happened. Why? That same week we had a flood of rain come upon us that flooded the lake. Last year WLC went and did service work.




This year, however, we got it in. At first it began to rain but when they hit the water for the challenge the sun came out and the water was calm. This was an individual event that can only be won by the fastest time over the half mile course. The winner this year was Rick who finished the course just ahead of Mary by 1 second. Each challenger competed and did their best. Some who had never kayaked before said that they really enjoyed it. It was grueling for them but in the end they did well and all finished.



Welcome Kathy our new Personal trainer for the blue team. She was our runner up weight loss challenger in 2008 and she lost 100 pounds and has kept ALL of it off.

Truck Pull

The dreaded truck-pull. So many were afraid of it, so many told me that they could not do it, but in the end all did it. All of them had heard that it was going to be a hard challenge. I had two of them come up to me and tell me that they just could not do it. One excuse after another, from a bad foot, to a blown knee. But together they could do it and they did. My goal here was to show them that, yes they are right; in it of themselves they cannot pull the 6500 pound truck up a slight incline 300 meters. In it of yourself they would probably hurt something. But with a partner, with a person that can come along side them and help them in the task YOU CAN DO IT AND ACHIEVE HEIGHTS THEY THOUGHT WERE IMPOSSIBLE. Below you can see their effort and their times. Please note this was a 300 meter course and they are pulling a 6500 pound truck up an incline.

Mark and Krista 2:55.00 seconds

Rick and Mary 2:44.00 seconds

Vic and Marsha 3:04.00 seconds

Josh and Tracy 2:53.00 seconds

Steve and Darcey 3:28.00 seconds



Special thanks to Auto Connections for the donation of the truck, to the Oconomowoc school system for the use of their driveway and to Vic Glassey for donating his pull-ropes. Thanks guys this challenge was successful because of all of you.

Lowering Expectations

Lowering Expectations

Someone comes to you and tells you what they are looking to accomplish. They are very specific and have a time line in which this goal needs to be achieved. After working with them you come to find out that their goals may be achievable but they will be very difficult to attain. What do you do?

In this society today we have this notion that if YOU feel as though YOU cannot achieve it we have to reduce our standards to make US feel better. Look at our school system. For many years WE were held to a certain standard for our academics. WE knew that if WE did not achieve that standard there would be consequences so we tried and in most cases to achieve those standards. WE would consider our teachers and parents evil and bad for holding us to a high standard of achievement. However, at the end of the day, were we not better people and better citizens for it?

Look at those that did not grow up with discipline and where they are today. A friend said to me that if WE don’t train them when THEY are young he would have to when they were older. Imagine if our teachers gave us a test and then after the test said that she felt really sorry for us and that she was going to just give us all A’s. How much would we have learned? We would have learned NOTHING!

Yes, you can feel sorry for a person or group of people, but lowering the standards for them in a challenging event does not make them better people, it just makes YOU(US) feel better and keeps them right where they were originally. Tough love is tough, but just remember, many of them put themselves in the position they are in today. Let them work to get out if it. In the end, they will be better people for it.