Sergeant Tony's Blog

Good Friday Everyone!

I saw LeBron James the other night thanks to Sarah Cowens. (Thanks again Sarah!)

LeBron plays basketball for the Cleveland Cavilers of the NBA.

He scored over 50 points that night! Is that a big deal? Let me tell you that the VAST majority of basketball players — from high schooler to pro — would be THRILLED to score HALF that number of points in a game. I’ve played basketball since I was a kid and I’m quite sure that I never had 25 points in a single game. I was pretty pumped up if I scored double digits! Of course, I played in the days before the 3 point shot! Plus games took a lot longer to play back then because you had to stop and climb a ladder to take the ball out of the peach basket after every score.

Anyway …

LeBron was featured in the November issue of Men’s Health. I really enjoyed reading about this 23 year old (he just turned 23 on December 30) basketball phenomenon.

Not much of a basketball fan?

That’s OK. You’ll appreciate a few things about this incredible young man without being a fan. In fact, basketball wasn’t even the major part of the article.

First of all, you need to know that LeBron went DIRECTLY from high school basketball in Akron, Ohio to playing in the NBA. How often does that happen? How often does it happen that a kid goes from his high school prom one month to playing before millions and making millions just a few months later? Hardly ever. I mean, hardly EVER! Even the great Michael Jordan played college ball at North Carolina before entering the NBA draft.

Second, what you need to know is that LeBron was raised by a single parent, his mom. He had no male role model in the home.

Third, you can admire him for his incredible work ethic, dedication, maturity, and business sense.

Fourth, you can admire him for the way he takes care of his mother and listens to her advice on a daily basis.

I could go on and on.

Now here’s why I mention LeBron. The author of the Men’s Health article wrote this about LeBron:

“(he) never asked himself the classic guidance-counselor question, ‘What do you want to do with your life?’ He always asked, ‘What are you actually doing with your life?’ Small distinction. Major difference. James bottles it in one word. ‘Commitment,’ he says.”

And there’s that word again … commitment.

COMMITMENT!

Commitment is the difference between being a pretender and being a contender.

Commitment is the reason why people win.

Commitment is the reason why people achieve their goals.

Commitment is the reason good ideas become great realities.

Commitment …

Occasionally I get asked about my own commitment to working out and living a healthy lifestyle. “Tony, when are you going to quit, kick back, and take it easy?”

I see guys my age all the time who’ve already gotten a head start on that.

Not for me.

I know that the day I quit living this lifestyle is the day my quality of life starts to decline … I start making excuses … I start standing on the sidelines.

Not for me.

When he gets to be my age, I bet it won’t be for LeBron either.

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FOX 13

Guess who will be on “Good Morning Memphis” on FOX 13 on Tuesday morning, talking about the “Sergeant Tony’s COMBAT THE FAT $5,000 Weight Loss Challenge”!??

That’s right, MEEEEE!!!

Don’t forget, applications for the “COMBAT THE FAT” program must be received by next Friday, January 25. Applications are available online on the website: www.usmcfitnessbootcamp.com

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NEW YORK TIMES

Read this interesting article in the New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/health/nutrition/17BEST.html

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MY HOUSE IN EAST MEMPHIS IS FOR RENT!

My house on Southern, in the Colonial View neighborhood (between Target on Colonial and The Half Shell on Mendenhall) will be available for lease on April 1. GREAT LOCATION! More details and a picture are on the blog: http://usmcfitnessbootcamp.com/blog/

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USMC FITNESS BOOT CAMP SWEATSHIRTS

The black, hooded, zippered sweatshirts are in!

These are Champion sweatshirts embroidered with the USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP logo. Why advertise for Nike, Adidas, and North Face (companies that have never done anything to change your life) when you can be sporting our colors!!

Unisex sizes from S to XXL. Women’s sizes in small and medium.

$35 each. Supplies are limited.

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HALF MARATHON TRAINING TO BEGIN JANUARY 26

Half marathon training will begin on Saturday, January 26 at 8 AM @ Shelby Farms. This will be in preparation for the Nashville Half Marathon or any other late April event.

This year we’ll add a NEW TWIST to the training. In addition to the usual training for those wanting to be able to finish the half marathon or to finish in under 2:30, we’ll also have a training group for those wanting to finish in under 2 hours. Both groups will meet at the same time on the same day at the same place.

Beginners are WELCOME! If you’ve never even run a 5K, I can have you ready to finish a half marathon by April 26th! Can you jog 3 miles without stopping? Then you can do it!

Cost for active duty Boot Campers is $75, and $100 for “friends of boot camp”

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“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”
- Aristotle

Have a great weekend everyone!

Tony

Sergeant Major Tony Ludlow
USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP, Commanding
4888 Southern Cove
Memphis, TN 38117
901-644-0145

www.shaklee.net/tonyludlow/main