Memorial Day 2014

Its the eve of Memorial Day , 2014,  so i am writing a "special edition" of sorts

OF late,  we hear a lot about the heroic exploits surrounding current operations and operations of the recent past in Afghanistan and Iraq  --- 

     The Crossfitters perform Hero Workouts regularly ---  (look 'em up if interested --they are fine tributes, but the sad part about them , - is the sheer number of them that exist)

We've been at war now for 12 years.     A lot of young men and women have paid the ultimate price 

I asked a friend for permission to use one of his pics yesterday, - and we both remarked that 20 years ago, a younger guy with a right shoulder patch was a rare thing (right shoulder patch being a combat patch, and i believe there used to be a time component to it - 180 days i think in a combat zone) --- now if you encounter someone in uniform ,  it is rare that they don't  have the patch, unless they are folks fresh out of training

             We certainly have some exceptional stories of bravery --  but the story i am going to share is going to turn back the clock 23 years , from the war that seemingly started all this  --- Operation Desert Shield/Storm

This is not my story -    but rather , this is a brief introduction to the "Bravo Two Zero" incident

Bravo Two Zero was the call sign a British SAS (Special Air Service) observation squad was using when they were dropped by helicopter into northern Iraq,  with a mission to disrupt the fiber optic network used for SCUD missile guidance

       After being compromised when a young shepherd discovered their position -- the 8 man team engaged in a firefight with a vastly superior force for several hours before being able to escape the area under cover of darkness  -- with no communications equipment, it was decided that they would try to make it to the Syrian border--- roughly 100 miles away   -- their combat load out bags were a mere 209 lbs , so they decided to ditch them -- instead , only carrying their weapons, ammo and one med kit ----  lest you think this is insignificant,  an FN Minimi and enough ammo to keep it happy still weighs 50 lbs or so,  plus rounds for each individuals M-203;s are fairly heavy, ----

    -- so , with the weight pared down from over 200 pounds to between 30 and 50 pounds,  they took off running --- making it over 50 miles on foot in one night ----  after laying low the next day, they resumed travel again -- only to become separated in a sand storm   --- and lest anybody think the desert is warm and tropical , -- 1 member of the team succumbed to hypothermia during the course of this adventure

So now down to 4 ,   the main group , of which Sgt Steven Billy Mitchell (pseudonym Andy McNab) was part of  managed to hijack a taxi cab and make it another  30 miles until being forced out at a vehicle checkpoint 

     almost within eyesight of the Syrian border -- McNab/Mitchell was captured taking refuge in a drainage ditch.  

   Another member of the team also succumbed to hypothermia trying to swim the Euphrates river (in January) -- and 3 more were captured , including troops from the  splintered off group who separated during the sandstorm

    Not captured was Colin Armstrong/ (pseudonym Chris Ryan)  -- Cpl Armstrong/Ryan made it to Syria --190 miles -  this is the longest escape and evasion by anybody in SAS history, and reportedly by any soldier.    He lost 36 lbs en-route and suffered internal injuries caused from drinking water contaminated with nuclear waste

        Now, except for Chris Ryan's escape, this whole thing sounds like a colossal  cluster-foul up.    

McNab and company spent 6 weeks in an Iraqi prison being tortured  -- McNab had nerve damage to both hands, a dislocated shoulder and hepatitis B when he was liberated

Whats the point or the tie in to my fitness  blog ?

How about saying ----   "Screw it guys, we're running to Syria !"      ---  Then running the equivalent of 2 marathons in one evening .    In BDU's. boots and carrying  machine guns, belted ammo and M-203's with spare grenade launcher ammo (also heavy) 

There is no training in the world that can adequately prepare you for this   

   --- There is no unit in the world that I am aware of that  says one Saturday --  "OK guys -- today for PT we're running a marathon !"  much less two

     And then Chris Ryan soloing an E&E  for over 130 miles himself ?  Jeesh 

You have to have some basic fitness to do this, even under periods of extreme duress --- but these guys' were big 200 pound guys,  .   Every soldier runs, to be sure --- but its typically more along the lines of 5 miles or perhaps 8 miles- maybe 10

That performance really  re-defined the term "pushing the limit"

           My hat is off to anyone who completes a marathon , or even a half marathon -- its a great accomplishment .   But the next time your obnoxious  in-law with his little pot belly and toothpick skinny legs   is prattling on about being in "survival mode" for the last couple of miles of his 5 hour marathon attempt,   remember the guys who did back to back marathons wearing boots in the desert while carrying guns    ---  

    --- he'll ask you what your smiling and shaking your head about and you can just say -- "Oh,  nothing"

_____________________________________________________________________________

            My involvement in Desert Storm does not involve clandestine missions 50 miles behind enemy lines, and  group photos with little black boxes over our faces

  

I only have contact with a few people from my brief time in the service  -- I guess its a bit like college buddies --- plenty of them when your at college, but after 10 years that number has shrunk quite a bit -- then after 20 years , the number of people you actively keep up with may be as little as 5 or 6 , or less

        

   I also have precious few photos scanned into a digital format , so i enlisted the help of 2 friends in getting some pics together

Since i have not contacted everyone pictured - i'm not going to name all the names , as that would be impolite without their permission 

 but i'll go with these

I

1)    Kevin MacClary provided this pic and he is on the far left ,  -- taken at a  Wolf Burger -- its a weird little middle Eastern interpretation of a hamburger place using almost unidentifiable meat ---  but after months of MRE's, i dont really see any frowns in this pic

2)   Bill Childers is on the far left -- this is really early in the deployment as we were sporting pretty rag tag combinations of chocolate chip day deserts and woodland camo clothing as i dont believe we all got our clothes at the same time  --- 

3) I'm on the right in this one and we are re-conning some abandoned and burned out village   --winning hearts and minds, no doubt -   

I still conversate with Kevin and Bill, plus i see my first company commander from time to time, but other than that  --- the rest of us have drifted out of contact

But what do you do for PT when your in the middle of the desert?     Thats easy --- you run.   Then when your done,  you can run some more  ---- you can add variety and spice by running in your chemical warfare suit, - your flak vest or both !  --- and when that gets to be old hat, going for a mid to late afternoon run on a 120 degree day may give a new challenge or two !

Then there is pushups and situps - staples of the military routine,  and pull up apparatus's can be rigged up in any number of ways--- or rigging up makeshift weights using truck axles and concrete !
    Fun stuff


This  Memorial Day,  i will be remembering my old unit and i hope everyone is doing as well as possible

____________________________________________________________________________

One of my more sobering memories from Desert Storm occurred on Feb 25 1991--- the ground war was winding down but our unit still had equipment at the Dhahran port in Saudi Arabia

      Myself and several other members of our unit were guarding our equipment that night ----  by that time, we were all familiar with what SCUD missiles looked like, but this one was coming our way

         I remember thinking to myself   "This is really happening"   as the missile closed in  ----  we  were masked up and halfway through putting on our chemical warfare suits when it whooshed overhead  and impacted something a quarter mile away  ----  which is still way way too close in the event of a gas attack

    I'll  never forget the look on another gent's face from another unit when he staggered around the corner yelling       "What was ........................"      Then he stopped mid stream when he saw 5 guys in chemical warfare suits   ---- comically he started frantically grabbing for his own gas mask even though he was 30 seconds too late  ---

----  After ensuring our position was stable,   Mikey Carter and i   (at least i think it was Mikey, could've been Thad Workman)  humped it to the blast site,   but by then triage had already mobilized  --- we went back to our equipment site to finish out a very long night . The next day we went back to the front and it was seemingly safer there than being in the"rear with the gear"            And then on Feb 28, 1991  -- it was over---

------   I have listed the official details of that SCUD attack below   -----Tomorrow , on Memorial Day, i will probably grill a steak or a burger (or both) -- maybe work in the yard,   get in a bike ride, drink a beer, -- or some combination of any or all of those things

              My day - and week - is dedicated to the men and women that perished that night

I will do these things because they can't    --- the average age of the soldier who was killed looks to be about 22 or 23, with a few exceptions --- that means most would be either firmly entrenched in middle age or well on their way to it

          They would have the same triumphs and problems that i have ----   same gripes about the weather, or taxes, or politics, or the economy --you name it

    

      Please join me in taking a brief moment to read this list, and think about these young men and women ---- along with everybody else who has died in wars past and present so we can live the lives of spoiled Americans 

As for me, all veterans have my respect and prayers --- i dont need a designated day for this --- my appreciation is shown with everything their sacrifices allow me to do and i will not forget that --- but tomorrow i grieve for those folks from Pennsylvania and dedicate the day to them

    ______________________________________________________________________

Godspeed

__________________________________________________________________________

Casualty management: scud missile attack, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

On the evening of February 25, 1991, an Iraqi scud missile plunged into a "barracks/warehouse" used to house U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 475th Quartermaster Group in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. As a consequence of this scud attack, 28 soldiers died, 110 were hospitalized, and 150 experienced minor physical injuries and/or subsequent mental health problems. This one scud's impact accounted for more than one-third of all U.S. soldiers killed during the war. Fortunately, there were very few "models" of mass casualty experiences during the Persian Gulf War to evaluate the critical clinical outcomes to the soldiers. An analysis of this event has important implications for future military operations that feature a multinational medical force structure. This article summarizes the medical preparations before the war, the key, chronological events, and the medical outcomes of the mass casualty event. Lessons learned in casualty management for future Army contingency medical planners are identified.

14th Quarter Master Detachment, which is an Army Reserve unit out of Greensburg. Pennsylvania. Here is the list of Soldiers killed that day in Saudi Arabia:

14th Quartermaster Detachment

• Specialist Steven E. Atherton, age 26,NurMine,Pennsylvania
• Specialist John A. Boliver, Jr., age 27,Monongahela,Pennsylvania
• Sergeant Joseph P. Bongiorni III, age 20,Hickory,Pennsylvania
• Sergeant John T. Boxler, age 44,Johnstown,Pennsylvania
• Specialist Beverly S. Clark, age 23,Armagh,Pennsylvania
• Sergeant Alan B. Craver, age 32,Penn Hills,Pennsylvania
• Specialist Frank S. Keough, age 22,North Huntington,Pennsylvania
• Specialist Anthony E. Madison, age 27,Monessen,Pennsylvania
• Specialist Christine L. Mayes, age 22, Rochester Mills,Pennsylvania
• Specialist Steven J. Siko, age 24, Unity,Pennsylvania
• Specialist Thomas G. Stone, age 20, Falconer,New York
• Sergeant Frank J. Walls, age 20,Hawthorne,Pennsylvania
• Specialist Richard V. Wolverton, 22,Latrobe,Pennsylvania

Other Units

• Corporal Stanley Bartusiak, age 34, 475th QM Group, USAR
• Corporal Rolando A. Delagneau, 30, 477th Trans Co.,USAR
• Specialist Steven P. Farnen, age 22, 477th Trans Co.,USAR
• Specialist Glen D. Jones, age 21,Grand Rapids,Minn., 477th Trans Co.,USAR
• Specialist Duane W. Hollen, Jr., age 24, 477th Trans Co.,USAR
• Specialist Steven G. Mason, 23, 477th Trans Co.,USAR
• Specialist Michael W. Mills, age 23, Jefferson, 477th Trans Co.,USAR
• Specialist Adrienne L. Mitchell, age 20,Moreno Valley,Calif., 475th QM Group, USAR
• Specialist Ronald D. Rennison, age 21,Dubuque,Iowa, 477th Trans Co.,USAR
• Private First Class Timothy A. Shaw, age 21,Suitland,Md., 475th QM Group, USAR
• Corporal Brian K. Simpson, age 22, HHC, 475th QM Group, 475th QM Group, USAR
• Specialist James D. Tatum, age 22, 23rd Repl Det, 475th QM Group, USAR
• Private First Class Robert C. Wade, age 31, 23rd Repl Det, 475th QM Group, USAR
• Corporal Jonathan M. Williams, age 23, 23rd Repl Det, 475th QM Group, USAR
• Specialist James E. Worthy, age 22, 477th Trans Co.,USAR

______________________________________________________________________________________

  Just a quick reminder, if you like what you read, forward this email to a friend, or use the little tab at the bottom to link it to your facebook page.  

 Thank you very much in advance for your support and send me an email at   Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com   to be added to the hard subscriber list

---- Doug

_______________________________________________________________________________
disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted

Stereotypes

By now ,  almost everybody out there - sports fans or not -- has heard something about NBA owner, Donald Sterling's insensitive remarks  --- which  were recorded illegally and obviously in the midst of some type of domestic discord -- from a  "kept woman" (a mistress) who was baiting him into some of the dialogue

  I've listened to the publicly released stuff -- same as others  -------    I'm going to keep my completely  un scripted opinion to myself on that for once ---

But there's a slippery slope -----  And its a reason most of the other NBA owners have kept somewhat silent thus far

One guy who has opened up a bit is Mark Cuban --- the young(ish)   Dot.commer who walks around wearing cargo shorts and t-shirts ---- oh yeah, he's also a billionaire and another NBA owner

I'll paraphrase for the sake of brevity,  but he said ---

we all deal with stereotypes or prejudices -- if i'm walking down a dark street at midnight and  i see a black kid in a dark hoodie, i'm crossing the street ---- likewise, if i see an anglo with face tattoos, etc. -- i will cross again -- we all deal with stereotypes everyday

How about this? --- If you run a Whole Foods  store and you are interviewing new hires ----- who is going to make the cut?

  < -------This guy?
Or this guy? ---------------------------------->









I am pretty sure we all know the answer to this one    ---

  ---  any of you boys out there who wear fanny packs and birkenstocks ---- stop typing right now !--- LOL  I likely wont answer

I'm kidding ,   -  Boulder , CO is a fine place to visit








              Point is -- we all have prejudices against something
   Dwight Yoakam famously stated in the movie Slingblade that he hated antique furniture and midgets

 ,   but proclaimed the crew cab dually pickup a piece of "Automotive Art" (in the deleted scenes)



Why am i talking about prejudices and stereotypes in a message geared towards fitness and wellness?

Its because i'm going to dig deep and talk about a stereotype that affects  this venture
   -----  Its common sense to know that the husky American who has trouble losing weight is a far more common malady nowadays than  someone who resembles a slim Frenchman who cant put on an ounce

What do some people think when they see a heavy person?     Do they think ----  "Boy, i wish i could help them out --" ,   -
    Do they think ---  " Boy --- look at those soulful, expressive eyes ---that gal must be really good with horses !"

   Or do they think ----  "Y'know --- she is a bit heavy, but she is so cuuuuute in the face !  -- I'll bet she has a great personality !"

  Or -----  "I'll bet that guy is the life of the party! -- like a 45 yo John Belushi -- just cracking jokes and pulling pranks !"

 -----------------  No --- first impressions can be crude and lasting impressions.    And its a sad fact that many peoples first impression of a heavy set person is that they are undisciplined, impulsive and lazy

  All walks of life have carefully crafted images they want to project ,  from a rocker or hip hop guy, to the MMA enthusiast, to a college professor, the banker ---------   there is a certain look that these people project that ties them to their profession, their status and the way they live their life
   ------   Heavyset America appreciates hockey jerseys and Shants (not shorts, not pants)

Time to tip the balance ------

I am not promising you'll get in the same shape you were in high school,   --- i'm not promising you'll look better  - i cant do that
    I am also not promising you will lose xxx amount of weight in xxx amount of time ---

What i will promise you , is that when you are working on your fitness, you are also crushing barriers   -----  we can't change public perception ,  but i do guarantee when you can squat and deadlift 1.5 x your lean bodyweight  (extra fat not included) --    YOUR attitude is the one that will begin to change

............  You can stand atop a mountain of iron with a humble expression, all the while thinking  -- "I really dont give a flip what a slim Frenchman who smokes little brown cigarettes thinks --- i am fixing the problem"

The lean muscle you build may at first cause you to gain weight, but muscle is a highly thermic material and before long the balance will shift

Quiet confidence can change your life ---- You may not look like a model for Charles Atlas strongman products --- but know inside that you are more valuable -- your health and wellness are priceless entities --

start slow -- keep increasing weights used a bit each workout, - stretch , don't eat junk at every meal  and good things will happen --- regardless of your reluctance or other peoples prejudices



Some people will write me and tell me i am "phoning it in" now with my little column here because i am not giving specific advice this week ------ well -- i dont mean to upset , but all along i have reinforced the fact that we all have a mind of our own and we should actively pursue knowledge on our own too ---- not blindly follow instructions the Hollywood trainer of the week posts in People's magazine or Oprah's newsletter
 -----  i would much rather tie a bit of social commentary in to our goals than just spout out sample weekly diet plans and workouts
     -

But for now , i'll toast my readers with a blender bottle full of almond milk and blended raspberries and say thank you ---  for your inspiration and ideas --- because my little articles dont just magically sprung from my mind , like the bubbling waters of the Fountain of Youth -----  i draw inspiration from my conversations and interactions with my fellow man


Have a safe and fruitful Memorial Day Weekend

- Doug

_______________________________________________________________________

  Just a quick reminder, if you like what you read, forward this email to a friend, or use the little tab at the bottom to link it to your facebook page.  

 Thank you very much in advance for your support and send me an email at   Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com   to be added to the hard subscriber list

---- Doug

_______________________________________________________________________________
disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted
 

5x3 and keeping your universe in harmony

1st- a couple more words on Overload and Burnout




ITs early and  the emails are starting to pour in regarding last night's article on Overload and Burnout ---thanks for reading   :)

I've got a long day ahead of me , so i'll toss aside the artistic license of comparing this to a buddy cop drama  --- although the 2 do work together

    To clarify --- Burnout is not necessarilly sleeping till noon, putting on a dirty t-shirt and then retiring to the nearest bowling alley to while away the day with beer drinking and self loathing ---- burnout can start out as simple as not being able to get enough sleep at night ---  or having a nagging feeling of dread when its time to put on your sneakers and get outside or to the gym

Take burnout to the next level and you can slip into adrenal fatigue (Epstein Barr)-- just a few of many symptoms of this are
  1) craving simple sugars
  2) as i already mentioned -- being tired , but still unable to sleep
  3) night sweats
  4) extreme lack of motivation

Thats worst case scenario


One way to avoid this  is to not look at your training as "your job"  --  because unless the income you get to feed your family is derived from your training - its not your job.   Its a way for us to gain, and maintain our health and fitness ,  and we should be able to derive some enjoyment from time to time.

      I'm definitely not saying that it should be a tickle-fest everytime you go for a bike ride or a run --- doing things like structured intervals, speed drills and hill repeats  are not going to be fun, but have fun with the result -----

I have a friend who opined to me yesterday that he doesn't really think a workout will do you much good unless you push yourself to the brink every time.
        I'm not questioning his results -- he does short, higher intensity workouts --- if that works well for him, then carry on -----  I've already been there and done that, and experienced the stress fractures and micro tears in tendons and joints that go along with it


5x3 For You and Me


But we wren't talking about his program,  -- we were questioning the effectiveness of the 5x3 program i wrote about a couple of weeks ago and am still personally working with

I have meant to expand a little on 5x3 but havent gotten back to it yet

5x3 is a variation of the decades old 5x5 workout program ---- it was named because it revolved around 5 exercises -- The squat, deadlift, barbell row, bench press, and overhead press.
      You dont do all 5 of those exercises in a single workout -- you do 3 of the exercises , for --- you guessed it,  5 sets of 5.    NExt session you will work in a different order of exercises , but all based around those 5 common exercises.
          I mentioned i do a Zercher squat as opposed to a back squat --- you can mix in a little variety by substituting a military press for an overhead press (similar movement , but in a military press, your heels are together, but in an overhead, they are shoulder width )  ,  incline bench for flat bench occasionally -- etc. , so long as we are staying within the same family of movements

So what is 5 x 3 again?   ---

Easy -- its the same sequence of basic exercises, except instead of doing 5 sets of 5 reps  plus warmup sets ---  we are doing 3 working sets at 5 reps each (plus a warmup set)

Why do less?

Thats an easy one  --- the old 5x5 system is a weightlifting specific program.   Its beauty is in its simplicity , but at its core, its a stand alone program , that can be used to supplement other sport-specific work,  but it is its own entity -- and the originators and early adopters of this program were of the mindset that this was all you were doing --- 4 times a week -- 5x5 was your training and if you wanted to slip in some cardio work, thats your business --- but never at the expense of the 5x5
        By early adopters , i mean folks like Bill Starr, Reg Park, and currently (and most famously) Mark Rippetoe

         I am assuming that my friends and colleagues who are reading this are not training to be better weightlifters, they're training to be better humans  --- a true 5x5 program that progressively adds weight as it should leaves little room for a post lift trail run, bike ride, or rowing session

I am advocating less volume in the weight room because it is only part of the equation -- the other half is the cardio work outside which is just as important ,  and not an afterthought ---

What about intensity
There is an age old way to increase the intensity of any exercise program if thats your hang up.   Its so simple its almost diabolical
    1) increase the weight (duh )
    2) decrease rest between sets
    3) or both

The tipping point here comes about when form becomes sloppy -If the form gets too sloppy --- stop and re-focus  lest you injure yourself

Another more advanced technique that is also simple in theory is rep speed --- focus on getting that weight up forcefully , then control it on the way down ----   using the bench press for example , i see far too many people practically drop the bar a little past lockout so it comes crashing into their chest , all in the name of giving it a little bounce to get the next rep started ---  Stop - take a plate off - its too heavy if you have to do that
    Just as bad - loading a bar with bumper plates for a deadlift session and letting it slam home -- also giving you a bit more momentum for the next rep --  again - if you have to do this - its too heavy - weights as little as 225 or so can rip shoulders out of socket if handled improperly

A noteworthy advocate of rep speed training is Louie Simmons , of Westside barbell fame---


So thats it 

Less work and more rest sounds like a win-win, right?    Well, its less volume ,  but assuming a 4 day a week training schedule with a competition or special event on the weekends , its still quite a bit of work. Asthe weights are only half (or not even half) of the total program

Its also fun to talk about training principles --- but the truth is,  the make or break part for many of us is going to be diet and rest
     - Training is the , and should be - the "fun part"  --- Diet and rest is the long slog we have to deal with 24/7   -- screw up either one and you'll never realize your true potential


Recap-Keep your personal universe in harmony


A quick peek through the blog index will show that i've covered a diverse array of topics that affect us in training , from stress management  and depression, to basic goal setting and planning ----  these things i intend to re-visit periodically to keep readers refreshed on these concepts  

      These are important to our health and well being , although physically they have very little to do with the simple acts of lifting heavy things, or heating up some chicken and broccoli

                When you have these things in place and in check and one's  personal universe is in harmony,  you have a solid platform to build from----   if  one or two of these principles is out of whack, then your whole program is as stable as a 2 legged chair

__________________________________________________________________________
       Just a quick reminder, if you like what you read, forward this email to a friend, or use the little tab at the bottom to link it to your facebook page.  

 Thank you very much in advance for your support and send me an email at   Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com   to be added to the hard subscriber list

---- Doug

_______________________________________________________________________________
disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted