The legend of Freddy Fender

Over the almost 9-year and illustrious history of Pierini Fitness, its chief executive blogger has devoted a couple middle-aged man reflections to the topic of a haircut.  Today is another one.

You see, this middle-aged man needs a haircut.  Nowadays, he only needs one about four times a year.  His haircut is in past due status.  Critics are sounding off with increasing regularity and they’re not saying nice things.

But he remains steadfast to hold out longer.  How long? Who knows; time will tell.

Even though his hair doesn’t grow on the wild side and thickly like his good olden days, if it’s watered enough, given some sunshine and lots of Father Time, it’ll eventually wildly blossom.

Still, I’ve got a way to go before entering that coveted status of being a mullet man.  I’m not sure that sporting a 2017 mullet, however, is a goal of mine but it’s a pleasant passing thought.

But, it would be nice to let it grow longer and wilder to pay tribute to and honor the legend of Freddy Fender.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Memorial Day 2017

Pierini Fitness remembers every brave man and woman who died serving our great country in military service today, Memorial Day 2017.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

A nice cold Corona

This middle-aged man is not a big fan, or consumer, of adult alcoholic beverages.  In my younger years that wasn’t my case. 

I sport no impressive wine cellar collection and I wouldn’t win a contest naming popular microbrewery beers.  San Pellegrino acqua minerale continues to be my cold beverage of choice.

But I’d be telling a little white lie if I said I don’t drink at all.  Occasionally, and probably this weekend, I do like a cold one and my current beverage of choice is a nice cold Corona.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Four years ago, today

One thing about being a middle-aged man is the years lived thus far and all the memories those years lived provide, including being a son to my father.

I have so many pleasant memories sitting and talking with my Dad, learning about my family history, and soaking up the sage fatherly wisdom only a father can provide.

Those memories are mine forever and for this, I’m most grateful.

You lived a full and interesting life dear Dad that ended on planet earth on May 24, 2013.

I pray you’re enjoying perpetual rest in Heaven with your Almighty Father and will always remember the last time I saw you, four years ago, today.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Therefore, less intensity

Middle-aged men fitness warriors eventually realize they’re no longer willing to have a pedal-to-the-metal approach with their fitness training.  The beast in them starts to get a little mellower with age and having a “been there and done it” mindset is a contributing factor.

A someone old, but still very relevant, Pierini Fitness blogflection shared a realization that while my Father Nature clock continues to tick tock towards the end of my life, the value of what I do today is best measured by whether I’ll be able to do it for the rest of my life.

Does this mean I should be doing seated exercises at a senior center, or water aerobics, both activities that I may one day be doing as a very-old fitness dude?

Hardly.

So, what’s another way?

What should I be doing to remain fit if it’s something I should be able to do for the rest of my life?

A good clue in embracing a meaningful fitness curriculum for a gracefully-aging middle-aged man is to look back at how we’ve trained when we were younger and fitter and enjoying every minute of it. 

I have a saying that "the program has got to match the personality."  I didn't do yoga as a young person and can't see myself doing it as an older person despite how beneficial it may be for me.

So, modifying exercise as we age may consist of doing that which we enjoy, which may be what we've done in the past, except using lighter loads, shorter duration, fewer sets and reps and, therefore, less intensity.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Run middle-aged man, run!

Earlier this week I shared how I missed running and was considering lacing up my running shoes and adding it back to my fitness training curriculum.  

Was I full of hot air and merely engaging in wishful thinking? Like an out-of-shape middle-aged man who says he wants to get in shape and will start next month, while reaching for another Hostess Twinkie from his vast collection?

Well, sort of in that I said I would do it later rather than right now.  That’s the acid test.  If you say that you really want to do something, are you willing to do it right now?

Well I wasn’t but I did, a day later.

On the way home from work, I stopped at a park that had a good running perimeter with a loop distance of 1.06 mile.  I envisioned that my resurrected running would take the form of a jog, walk, jog cadence.  I didn’t know for sure.  Even though I’m in relatively good cardiovascular conditioning, each fitness activity is unique to itself and acclimation is required after a long layoff from it.

Don’t believe me?  Try doing burpees and learn the hard way.

Much to my pleasant surprise, I completed the about one-mile loop running nonstop in about eleven minutes.  It wasn’t super-easy but it wasn’t unbearably hard.  The kettlebell work I’ve been doing has definite spillover benefit. 

I was back in the game, running that is.

So, I decided to take in a round two experience this week and that’s what I did yesterday, except this time I went to a different park, one that like the last one has a good perimeter surface for running and with a loop distance of 1.02 miles.

I ran twice around for a total distance of 2.04 miles.  It took me 23 minutes and this surprised me as I thought I ran at a faster pace than my previous run.  But at an 11-minute plus pace, it was slower.  Again, it felt good so now I know there are more runs ahead in my summertime fitness training.

Now, every second or third workout I’m plotting, I’ll tell myself, “run middle-aged man, run!

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Always be made in America

A couple years ago, I wanted to buy a t-shirt to wear on the 4^th of July that showcased American identity and pride but was also made in America.  Much to my surprise, I found one at Wal Mart and it was affordably-priced.  As a bonus, it was made from cotton, comfortable and cut to fit this middle-aged man made in America.

Wouldn't it be nice if doing this more often - buying something that was made in American and affordably-priced - was the norm rather than the exception?

It isn’t easy to do nowadays, that’s for sure.

But, one thing is for sure; your morning cup of middle-aged man reflections about living and dying, gracefully aging and trying to live a good and honest life will never be outsourced to some foreign country far away from home, and composed using cheap foreign labor in a substandard sweat shop work environment. 

Nor will legal foreign guest workers ever be used to do this work normally done by made in America middle-aged men workers.  

Finally, illegal aliens will never be exploited and used as is shamefully done by many American businesses.

You see, Pierini Fitness middle-aged man reflections will always be made in America.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

I miss running

Not sure what inspired me to share today’s reflection. Maybe it’s the nice weather that’ll become increasingly bountiful in the days ahead. 

Perhaps it was someone I saw breezing by as I drove past a neighborhood park. I’m not sure, though, that I can pin it down to any single observation, reflection or thought. 

But it does catapult to the front of my pleasure mental bandwidth so many yesteryear pleasant memories from my middle-aged man fitness past. 

This past doesn’t have to be etched in stone or affixed with superglue to my never-to-be-done-again super list. 

So, maybe this reflection is nothing more than an acknowledgement of the resurrection ball being in my court if I want these pleasant yesteryear memories to, once again, be my today or tomorrow new pleasant experiences. 

Thinking about lacing up my running shoes because I miss running.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

The envy of others

Harbor no envy or jealousy, my fellow middle-aged men, when witnessing others going about their lives showcasing real or imaginary happiness and success. Rather, bask in delight from your observations.

Because a middle-aged man who takes such delight witnessing happiness or success in others is blessed with gratitude and likely content with who they are, and what they have regardless of how little or much it may be or how it's measured.

And, this delight will be amazingly obvious to all taking note, including those who may be the envy of others. 

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

My middle-aged man riddle

I’m someone who likes to free-spiritly think with no goal in mind other than pure enjoyment.

In my free-spirit thinking journey, I sometimes arrive at the same fork in my mental road where I’m greeted by this unanswerable question:  Why is it that the more I think I know the less I know, and the less I think I know the more I know?

Today, this is my middle-aged man riddle.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum