...You need to die...

Dinner was finished and I was sitting back in my chair relaxing. My eyes were closed and for a moment I was in "peace" when I felt a tap on my shoulder. TAP TAP - "Daddy, i need you to hold this." When i turned around it was Connor and he was handing me a light saber. So...not thinking about it I took the lightsaber from his hand. BAM - No sooner then I took it and he hit me in the head with his lightsaber! "Why did you do that!" I shouted. "Daddy, your a sith lord and you need to die." Oh...yeah....I forgot....thank you sir may I please have another.

A journey into cross training...

I thought I would write down some thoughts from the past 9 weeks of cross-fit training. It's my insight into a journey I started almost 9 weeks ago.

Week 1: Pain...all I can say is pain. Brian, my trainer, is patient and vibrant. When I took the intro class I wasn't sure if I would like it. It lacked all the cool equipment that the other gyms had. However, I was in for a rude awakening. By the end of the first week I could barely walk and felt as though I needed a walker to get be through most of the day. Brian wants me to try 4 days a week and work myself up to 5 days a week. I wake up at 4:30 am and am at the gym by 5:00.....ugh....

Week 2: Another week down. Ugh. Brian wants me to do a food log. I told him him I was ready to try 5 days a week. He was all for it. Continued soreness in my legs and quads. Oy...This Week worked out the abs to the point where my stomach muscles finally said "dude, what are you trying to do to me!"

Week 3: Turned in my food log and started my 5 day a week training. Brian gave me some friendly chastisement and some needed advise. He wanted soda out of my daily routine as it had no nutritional value at all. (Since this day I have had no drinks of soda of any sort) Additionally fast food was out of the picture...totally. So I have started making my lunches at work which include a whole wheat sandwich and a plate of steamed veggies. Additionally my snacks consist of some type of fruit usually a banana or apple. Continued soreness all over.

Week 4: Brian corrected some of my eating habits with some adjustments to added protein during my lunch hour. Additionally he wanted me to add some protein bars during my snack times - usually around 10:30 am and 2:30 in the afternoon. This is the first week I haven't felt as sore as I was in the beginning. I can actually walk upright!

Week 5: When i started with the gym they took a body comp which they would monitor every 4-6 weeks in order to determine where I'm losing inches and weight. I was extremely pleased :) I dropped 10 pounds. Additionally I dropped 3 inches around my chest, 1 inch on my neck, 1 inch on my waist, and 1 inch on my bicep. I'm pretty stoked! I continue to watch my eating and drink lots of water.

Week 6: This week was insane (in a good way!) By the end of some of the routines I couldn't even hold the starting weights anymore....Learning a lot about self-discipline and how much of my attitude is based on my expectations for myself. A lil sore this and my arms feel like noodles.

Week 7: So far im down 2 belt notches and my clothes are feeling so loose. I don't think anyone really notices the weight loss but thats cool...I'm doing this for me and my family. Plus my wife's constant flattery gives me additional motivation to keep going. Felt some pain in my sides as I was doing one of the exercises. Wasn't hurtful more like a cramp. Brian explained how muscles will cramp up when deprived of oxygen and he also tought me some stretches.

Week: 8 Another week down! It's almost sad that I enjoy my weekend but can't wait for Monday to roll around to start my work out all over again. This wasn't a bad week. The squats and the step exercises are becoming fairly routine and i haven't had any cramping when doing my crunches. I'm finally sleeping through the night and the fact that my wife is throwing lots of winks my way isn't bad either :)

My Lil Megan....

So there we are watching our family movie on a Friday night. Megan get's up from her seat and says "mommy, hold me". So as I was sitting next to my lovely bride I asked Megan if she wanted to sit on my lap. She looked at me with the utmost sincerity and said "daddy, i want to sit on mommy's lap, but you can touch my foot if you want."

My Fitness Journey....

Almost 8 weeks ago i started a journey to improve my health, lifestyle, and longevity. I wasn't sure how to approach it. It had been a long time since I was in a gym and I felt like a novice....and in fact I was. I called a local gym and tried one of the training sessions. I was a bit skeptical because it didn't look like your typical gym. The first couple of days were intense...I felt pain EVERYWHERE. To be honest I could barely walk! I basically shuffled everywhere as though there were braces attached to my legs. It's been a journey of self discovery and mental resistance. During the past 8 weeks I've learned a lot about myself and it's helped strengthen my focus. I've also been blessed with a wonderful trainer. He's got my interest in mind and his desire to partner with me is a great motivator. The journey is just beginning...and honestly...I'm excited!

Bill Avila

If only....

The antics of children amaze me. More precisely the tantrums they throw are an amusement to my wife and I, albeit sometimes a deafening one. On this particular occasion an idea came to me. What if, during a crucial business meeting, I utilized some of the children antics to demonstrate my disapproval and dissatisfaction. For example:

The Foot Stomp - A method utilized by a couple of the female inhabitants in my home. Generally this tactic is used when trying to convey unhappiness. Generally the methods involve 2 - 3 stomps followed by a statue like posture with arms crossed.

The Speak and Slouch - Generally one of the Avila inhabitants will get into a fight with another sibling at the dinner table. After a chastisement the unhappy child will drop into their chair (also called a slouch) and their speech will become murmured or slurred. During this time the voice also becomes low with arms crossed.

The Stuck Turtle - I named this particular position as the respondent will throw themselves to the ground, land on their back, and kick their legs around as though they are turtles stuck on their back. Often times this is followed by loud amounts of crying and gnashing of teeth.

The Stone Statue - As can be expected from talking to a stone statue there is "no" response. Thus the accused child will sit expressionless. No matter the question or comment the child maintains one expression and does not break from it until the adult decides to move on to other more pressing matters.

If I forgot anything please let me know.


Bill Avila
The Hispanic Crusader

Dad...your not a fighter....

So there I was, another night of wrestling my son. As usual I put on a good show. Grunts, slams, elbows...it was like being at a professional wrestling match! But just like any other night the good guy (Connor) ends up winning the match against the bad guy (me). This one night Connor beat me using his hand as a whip and on this occasion using the force (yes, like in star wars) to choke me into submission. When we were done wrestling he walked up to me and said "dad, I'm worried." I asked him what he was worried about...he said, "well daddy, you teach people how to fight and well...i beat you every time we fight. Don't you think I should be teaching the class instead?" So if anyone is interested Connor will be doing a fight seminar this weekend on how to use Force Lighting as an attack on your opponent.