Sergeant Tony's Blog

A few years ago I was the guest speaker at Memphis University School’s weekly assembly. I had no formal connection to the school. I was never a student there, nor faculty member. But I knew the Head Master and the Academic Dean and both saw fit to invite me to ramble and babble before several hundred members of the all boys student body.

Unknown to me, the speaker the previous week had actually rambled and babbled … and went over his allotted time. He was a State Senator and showed up without a prepared talk. Apparently he assumed the boys and their faculty would be happily impressed with his stream of consciousness rabbit chasing. But no one was.

So after I was introduced, I stood up and walked to the podium, with notes—something the politician didn’t have—and there seemed to be a heightened sense of expectation that I could feel. The boys seemed to be leaning forward in their seats. At the time, I didn’t know any of that business about the Senator and his poor speech. A speech that generated neither heat nor light, I was told. So when I looked out on the congregation and saw the expectant looks on their faces, I just thought the boys always gave their guest speakers that kind of attentiveness.

As a father of sons and a high school coach, I’d written a list of traits and characteristics that I called “50 Things About Being a Gentlemen.” I gave my sons and all of my players the list. That list spelled out to both my sons and players what I expected in their behavior and what I considered to be the character traits of a gentleman. Many of my players came from at-risk-single-parent-homes with no fathers in the picture and no male role models to offer advice and guidance. In my view, this is the primary purpose of a high school’s athletic program: teaching life lessons through sports. Building character and holding young people accountable for good behavior in difficult situations is, in my opinion, the primary reason for a high school’s athletic department. As an Athletic Director, I impressed upon my coaches that philosophy. We would not win at all costs nor would we conduct ourselves without honor.

For the 20 minute talk I gave at MUS I chose only 10 of those 50 things. Incorporated in those 10 things included “what I’ve learned so far” kind of advice and observations. “What I’ve Learned So Far” is the name of my favorite Esquire magazine feature. It’s written by famous and/or successful men who distill the lessons learned in a lifetime to a single page feature. That feature alone is worth the cost of the magazine.

Two things I’ve learned that I wish I’d had time to include at MUS were: 1) everything takes more time than you think it will, and 2) sometimes you have to take the advice of Taylor Swift and Frozen’s Queen Elsa and “shake it off and let it go.” You could rephrase #2 with “you have to quit caring.” You have to care less.

I think #1 is something we intellectually acknowledge, but practically ignore. We wait until the last minute to do something or we don’t allow enough time for a task or errand. It will always take you more time to pack than you think it will. It will always take more time to load the car than you think it will. It will always take more time to clean the house than you think it will. It will always take more time to drive across town than you think it will. It will always take more time to lose weight and get in shape than you think it will. You get the idea. If you break down the tasks, obligations, and duties of your life by assigning more time to each than you initially would–maybe by adding 15 to 30 minutes or more–you’ll find that you benefit from the extra time allowed.

Adjusting to the truth of #1 isn’t that hard. It just requires discipline.

But #2 is different. It’s harder.

Not caring runs contrary to our earliest lessons in life. Our parents wanted us to care. They demanded that we care. They insisted upon it! They wanted us to care about everything: how we look, how we talk, how we eat, how we stand, how we sit. They told us to put on something clean, don’t talk to me in that tone, say “yes, sir” and “no, sir,” don’t eat with your mouth open, don’t slouch, sit up straight. They wanted us to care about everyone: treat others as you want to be treated. Be nice. Be polite. Share. Show respect.

Getting older meant a widening and deepening sense of caring about things and caring about others. In fact, the argument could be made that caring is the chief cornerstone of a civilized society. As a species, we gather together in groups so that we can care for one another. As a nation, we come together to aid and defend our allies because we care. We give to charities and welfare organizations because we care. We give to the poor because we care. We gladly pay taxes in order to meet the needs of our fellow citizens because we care.

We watched the twin towers come down, a 1000 miles away in New York City, with tears running down our collective cheeks because we care.

When I was overseas, I was excited when I got a “care” package from home! We send “care” packages to our deployed troops.

How often have you heard someone criticize a book or movie by saying that they weren’t compelled to “care” about any of the characters. And that was a deal breaker.

But the very thing that makes us a civilized society, a caring nation, a compassionate people is the thing that can trip us up in relationships and situations that become dysfunctional or untenable. We have trouble “shaking it off” because we care. We have trouble giving up on a person or a situation because we care. We can’t “let it go” because we care. The thing that fuels our compassion and thoughtfulness, is the thing that can fuel our misery and cause us pain.

A woman I dated once told me that the person who cares the most in a relationship has the least amount of power in that relationship. I should have seen her comment as reflective of her views about the dynamics of romantic relationships. If there’s a power struggle in a relationship, or if there’s a question about who has the most power, there’s your sign that the relationship is dysfunctional. A healthy and loving relationship has no sense of “who has the power.” I know this because I’ve been in both kinds of relationships.

We have to shake it off and let it go when someone violates the written or unwritten rules of respect and courtesy. Being long-suffering is a virtue. Being loyal, forgiving, and patient are virtues. And giving others the benefit of the doubt is something we look for in a friend. These are the kinds of things we extend to those we love and allow into our inner-circle.

When I was a recruit at Parris Island, attempting to earn the title of United States Marine, my Drill Instructors assigned me the task of taking one of the 14 Leadership Traits of the Marine Corps and giving a presentation on that trait to my platoon. (The 14 Leadership Traits are: Justice, Judgment, Dependability, Initiative, Decisiveness, Tact, Integrity, Enthusiasm, Bearing, Unselfishness, Courage, Knowledge, Loyalty, Endurance.) The trait I was assigned was loyalty. The more I studied this trait, the more I saw loyalty as necessary and imperative! If I had to choose only 3 of those 14, I’d choose loyalty, dependability, and courage. That lesson, more than anything else, solidified my own convictions about loyalty when I was only 18 years old. All these years later it still ranks supreme in my estimation of desirable and admirable traits.

But when loyalty, trust, respect, and courtesy are violated by someone we have allowed into our lives, we have to let them go. We have to train ourselves not to care. And this may be one of the most difficult things to do.

I remember as a 14 year old being reprimanded by my mother about some infraction and walking away murmuring “I don’t care” under my breath. My mother heard it and went ballistic! Not caring was blasphemy! Not caring was equated with the worst of sins and moral imperfections. Not caring was a violation of the very thing that made us civilized. Not caring was unforgivable. Not caring was likened to murder and arson, my mother lectured.

But the unfortunate truth is that some people can’t be trusted. They’ll use our compassion and our caring for them as weapons used against us. Self-respect requires us to draw a line. Self-respect requires us to unfriend, withdraw, and quit any relationship or situation that disrespects us and mistreats us. At some point we have to quit caring when we seem to be the only one who does. At some point we have to erect boundaries to keep those away who don’t care about us, who disrespect us, who betray us, who abandon us.

It’s a hard thing. It’s a hard thing to withdraw. It’s a hard thing to keep people at arm’s length. It’s a hard thing to close the door. It’s a hard thing to quit caring so much. It’s a hard thing to quit caring at all. But sometimes, that’s what must be done to protect yourself in the long run.

Things take longer than we think.

Sometimes we just have to shake it off and let it go.

— 30 —

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BUFFALO RUNNERS HALF MARATHON TRAINING THIS SATURDAY!

Our training continues on Saturday at 7am! We’ll meet at the same place at Shelby Farms: in the parking lot of the main playground, near the temporary Visitor’s Center and Go Ape ropes course.

If you’re not training for the St. Jude Half, you’re still welcome to get your 1 hour of CC with the group!

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TODAY’S NUTRITION TALK
by Gunnery Sergeant Ashley Holloway, RD LDN,
(An Registered Dietitian has a BS in Food Science, followed by a one year internship through an accredited university, and then with the recommendation of the internship program’s supervisor, a national examination is required. After that, an RD must have continuing education units annually in order to remain active and registered. An RD is an expert, not a hobbyist or a “food enthusiast.”)

Don’t Throw your Nutrition Away!

On average we spend $15 to $20 of fruits and vegetables a week, knowing that they are important for a healthy diet. But it may surprise you that you may be unknowingly throw away some of the healthiest parts of the food.

We often pick of the “strange” part of the produce and throw them away. But you are not just throwing away dollars and cents, you are also throwing away important nutrition benefits.

These forgotten parts of food are packed with vitamins and minerals and heart-saving amino acids. Add them to your kitchen rotation and reap the rewards.

1. CANTALOUPE SEEDS

Their Hidden Powers: These seeds are usually the first to go when you crack open a melon, but they’re high in protein, fiber, vitamin E, and magnesium.

How to Eat Them: Roast them in the oven and toss with olive oil for a nutrient-packed snack.

2. ONION SKINS

Their Hidden Powers: These flaky exteriors are high in quercetin, a compound that can help lower your blood pressure and support a healthy immune system.

How to Eat Them: Add them to a stew or broth for extra flavor, then pick them out before serving.

3. BROCCOLI LEAVES

Their Hidden Powers: These leafy greens are a triple threat with high levels of vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium, says Bonci.

How to Eat Them: Cut them up and throw them into a stir-fry along with the rest of the broccoli.

4. ORANGE PEELS

Their Hidden Powers: You already knew they smell fantastic, but they’re also rich in digestive system-soothing fiber and immune-boosting vitamin C.

How to Eat Them: Use a cheese grater to sprinkle some on top of fish or chicken.

Adapted from Men’s Health 6/2015

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Running With Music!

If you run with music, for safety’s sake, turn the music down or use only one earbud, especially in a race. I recently bought an excellent single earbud (XDU Noise Isolating Earbud) from Far End Gear http://farendgear.com/xdu/)

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MAKE A FACE!!!!

INCREASE YOUR WEIGHTS!

YOU GET OUT WHAT YOU PUT IN!

What you get out of the workouts is determined by you.

How much do you work? How much effort you put into trying to do all of the repetitions with proper form and how much weight you’re using will determine what you get out of each workout.

YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!
YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!
YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!
YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!
YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!

It’s time for you to go up in weights … that’s what I’m thinking!

MAKING A FACE (THE GRIMACE) IS THE POOR MAN’S (OR WOMAN’S) FACELIFT!

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EVERY WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY ARE T-SHIRT DAY!

WEAR YOUR RANK INSIGNIA SHIRT, SUB 7 SHIRT, OR OTHER USMC FITNESS BOOT CAMP SHIRT EVERY WEDNESDAY!

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THE GOOFY CLUB

Members of The Goofy Club are boot campers who’ve run the Walt Disney World Goofy Challenge in Florida. Club members participated in the Marathon Weekend in Orlando by running a half marathon (13.1 miles) on Saturday and then running a full marathon (26.2 miles) the next day!

Dory Sellers (2015)
Chris McLelland (2015)
Kay Ryan x 2! (2013 & 2015)
Alan Compton (2013)
Ashley Holloway (2013)
Tony Ludlow x 2 (2009, 2013)
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THE IRON CLUB

Iron Club members have run one or more (or multiple) Ironman series triathlons: the 70.3 (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run; often called the Half Ironman) and the 140.3 (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run, the Full Ironman!)

Scot Bearup 70.3 & 140.6
Andrew Forsdick 70.3 & 140.6 x TWO
Tony Ludlow 70.3
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SUB SEVEN CLUB!
Members of the Sub-7 Club are Boot Campers who’ve run the mile in under 7 minutes under my observation and timing.
Sam Podesta
Ben Newsham x 2
Tim Jacobs
Lee Chase,
Chris McLelland,
Andrew Stolnicki,
Dory Sellers,
Henry Kenworthy,
Matt Green,
Andrew Forsdick
Tony Ludlow

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ACTIVE DUTY ROSTER OF VETERAN BOOT CAMPERS!

Are you coming up on promotion? Let me know! If you’ve been in the program for 6 months straight, you should be on the roster!

Every Wednesday is our Official BOOT CAMP T-SHIRT DAY! You can wear your rank insignia shirt anytime you‘d like, of course, but always every Wednesday!

The ACTIVE DUTY ROSTER

Under 6 months is a Private

Private First Class is more than 6 months but less than 1 year.

Over 1 year is a Lance Corporal
– Pam Torres – meritoriously promoted 12/2012
– Teresa Reed 2/2012*
– Emma Crystal 5/2012
– Megan Collins 6/2012
– Maria Wyatt 6/2012
– Chuck Miller 11/2012
– Diane Gorney 12/2012
– Lexie Johnston 12/201?
– Ashley Summers 2/2014
– Ben Summers 2/2013
– Sam Lee 2/2013
– Louise Biedenharn 2/2013
– Jay Biedenharn 2/2013
– Ragan Washburn 2/2013
– Mary Holland Doan 4/2013
– Kay Barkoh 4/2013
– Melissa Campbell 4/2013
– Gina Tice 4/2013
– Jennie Latta 6/2013
– Mallory Raffensberger 8/2013
– Ashley Bowles 8/2013
– Greg Gaston 8/2013
– Steve Pike 9/2013
– Karen Tronsor 9/2013
– “El” McCain 11/2013
– Angela Moore 12/2013
– Jenn Bonner 12/2013
– Brett Bonner 1/2014
– Mandy Tenent 3/2014

Over 2 years is a Corporal
– Jeremy Harris 1/2009*
– JD Dombroski 4/2011
– Carrie Schule 5/2011
– Mary Bauer 6/2011
– Lee Chase 7/2011
– Tait Keller 8/2011
– Heath Alderson 9/2011
– Lindsey Stanfill 9/2011
– ShaWanda Upshaw 10/2011
– Tara Ingram 11/2011
– Rachel Phillips 2/2012
– Jean Maskas 2/2012
– Keith Renard 4/2012
– Alan Compton 4/2012
– Steve Havard 5/2012
– Beth Stengel 2/2012
– Chris Kelley 6/2102
– Lora Gubanov 8/2012
– Susye Clark 7/2012
– Orli Weisser-Pike 9/2012
– Lindsey Leet 9/2013
– Morgan Johnson 9/2012

Over 3 years is a Sergeant
– Ashley McClure 7/2010
– Jenni Harris 8/2010
– Anne Marie Wyatt 8/2010
– Paul Bauer 11/2010
– Robin Scott 3/2011
– Chris McLelland 3/2011
– Randal Rhea 4/2011
– Cindy King 4/2011
– Sherri Thompson 4/2011
– Melissa Thompson 5/2011
– Michelle Moss 5/2011
– Becky Lawler 5/2010*

Over 4 years is a Staff Sergeant
– Jonathan Phillips 10/2008*
– Karen Massey 11/2009
– Cecelia DeLacy 2/2010
– Malinda Miller 3/2010
– Beth Mills 5/2010
– Emily Melonas 6/2010
– Keith Renard 6/2009*
– Tim Romanow 8/2010

Over 5 years is a Gunnery Sergeant
– Patrick Moore 9/2008*
– Jessie Flanders 1/2009
– Andrew Stolnicki 1/2009
– Paul Tronsor 3/2009
– Robert Hunt 8/2009*
– Jay Mednikow 3/2010
– Ashley Holloway 4/2010

Over 6 years is a Master Sergeant
– Anne Mead 2/2005*
– Beth Rehrig 7/2007
– Matt Prince 6/2007
– Frank Jemison 10/2007
– Patty Dougherty 3/2008
– Oscar Adams 3/2008
– Alan Schaeffer 5/2008
– Mike Ryan 5/2006*
– Dory Sellers 6/2006*
– Albo Carruthers 8/2008
– Anne Kenworthy 8/2008

Over 7 years is a First Sergeant
– Kay Ryan 10/2006
– Michelle Crockett 3/2007
– George Rose 5/2007
– Henry Kenworthy 5/2007
– Leslie Garey 6/2007

Over 8 years is a Sergeant Major
– Louis Glazer 3/2005
– Gary Thompson 10/2005
– Scot Bearup 10/2005
– Kay Shelton 1/2006
– Leesa Jensen 5/2006
– Megan Warr 8/2006
– Rob Norcross 8/2006

Over 9 years is a Warrant Officer 1
– Matt Green 5/2005
– Mike Barta 6/2005*
– Anne Emmerth 6/2005*

Over 10 years is a Chief Warrant Officer 2
– Buddy Flinn 7/2003
– David Townsend 1/2004
– Hank Brown 3/2004
– Andrew Forsdick 9/2004
– Melissa Moore 2/2005

Over 11 years is a Chief Warrant Officer 3
– Pat McGhee 1/2003
– John Whittemore 1/2003
– Peter Pettit 5/2003
– Amy Singer 9/2003

Battalion Executive Officer
Major Richard Bourland, 9/2003

* broken time

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ARE WE FACEBOOK FRIENDS?

We should be!

HAVE YOU “LIKED” THE USMC FITNESS BOOT CAMP FACEBOOK PAGE?

You should totally do that!

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BOOT CAMP DISCOUNT

If you set up an automatic payment at your bank (Boot Camp mailing address is 4888 Southern, Memphis 38117) you can subtract $10 off your fee!

(This is not in conjunction with other discounts and is not an automatic bank draft that I set up with a voided check. This an automatic payment that you yourself set up yourself with your bank usually online and easy as pie!)

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USMC FITNESS BOOT CAMP CLASSES

0530 Monday through Friday
(First and second Tuesday of the month are M-16 Workouts at CUMC. Third and fourth Tuesdays are Mt. Fuji Workouts at the U of M)
5:45 PM: Monday through Thursday, 5:30 on Friday.

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BOOT CAMP DISCOUNTS AND FACEBOOK EXPERIMENT!

First of all, find me on Facebook and make me your friend. (Also, be sure to “like” USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP on Facebook.)

Here’s how the discount works!

It’s simple: make a Facebook status update and get a discount!

For every status update that you make that references:
“USMC Fitness Boot Camp,”
“Sgt. Tony’s Boot Camp,”
“Tony’s Boot Camp,”
or something similar, (there are fake boot camps out there) you can take $2.50 off your next reenlistment fee for each update!

You can take up to $20 off for any given month!

Your status update has to be a specific reference to USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP or to me specifically by name.

BE SURE TO TAG ME!

You can do the same thing by “checking in” at USMC Fitness Boot Camp either by using Facebook “places,” Foursquare, or any of the other “check in” apps that show up on your Facebook News Feed.

So log on and start getting your discounts now!

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Q. How can I get up in the morning on a consistent basis?
A. Contrary to what many think, I am NOT a morning person. I have to be “dynamited” out of the bed! Here are some tips to help you get going in the morning:
1. Use two alarm clocks. I have a snooze alarm that starts going off several minutes before I intend to get up. Then I have a “Last Call” alarm clock that is located across the room. This alarm clock is set to go off when I MUST get up.
2. Once the last call alarm goes off, the bed becomes OFF LIMITS! Get moving!
3. Get out of bed, turn off the alarm clock, and start turning on lights all through the house. Turn the TV on!
4. Lay out your clothes the night before. Don’t go wandering around the house in the morning trying to find your left shoe and your favorite shorts. So, have things ready the night before.

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What would you do if money was not an issue, fear was not a factor, and failure was not an option?

To your optimum health and fitness!

SEE YOU ON THE QUARTERDECK!

Tony

Sergeant Major Tony Ludlow

USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP, Commanding
Mailing address: 4888 Southern Ave., Memphis, TN 38117
Cell Phone: 901-644-0145

I had to remind myself that I was doing it for the kids. The “it” I was doing was dancing around. On camera. To be broadcast to thousands of unsuspecting viewers on PBS.

I was in a studio of WKNO television with an overweight giant of a man who looked more like a lumberjack than a cameraman. He was probably 6’8” and all of 375 pounds. There was no music and I had no partner. Just the big guy behind the camera. I stood in front of him with a green screen behind me, when the unseen man in the control booth said into a microphone heard on speakers in the studio, “Get ready Sgt. Tony … dance in 3-2-1, YOU’RE ON!”

This was my third dancing shoot. The first two were completely different. Those shoots had a studio full of production folks, music to dance to, and a pretty female stage manager standing next to the cameraman to “dance with.” Both of those shoots were fun. And though it wasn’t exactly “going to da club” (whatever that means) it wasn’t too challenging to do the Funky Chicken either. But this last shoot was hard and required an Academy Award winning acting skill. You could think Tom Cruise in “Risky Business” but you’d be wrong. He had music! I just had the big guy.

All of this took place in and around 2002 and 2003. For several years in the early 2000s I wrote an advice column for the children’s magazine, “Jabberblabber.” Just a few years earlier, my friends, Theresa Andreuccetti, Nikki Schroedur, and Ben Voorhies had launched the magazine, a publication designed to whet a child’s creative appetite. They asked if I’d be willing to volunteer to be a part of the Jabberblabber family by writing a column. The column I wrote was an advice column called, “Ask Sgt. Tony.” I answered questions sent in to the magazine by children all across the Mid-South. Elementary school teachers used the magazine in their classrooms for art projects and creative writing assignments.

Sometimes the questions I got were silly: “Sgt. Tony, which superhero is your favorite, Superman or Batman?” And sometimes the questions were serious: “Sgt. Tony, my 14 year old sister sneaks out of the house at night when my parents think she’s in bed. What should I do?” The magazine was distributed all over the city. It went to elementary schools, hospitals, libraries, waiting rooms, bookstores, the Y, the Boys and Girls Clubs, and everywhere there might be a gathering of children.

I made personal appearances with the Jabberblabber character, a big green alien usually played by Ben (who also played the newscaster, my favorite character!), and our awesome cartoon drawing cowgirl, “Quick Draw Drew,” played by Nikki. We visited Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and St. Jude, the Ronald McDonald House, and the Target House. We made appearances at festivals and charity events. For several years we were all over the city in a variety of interesting places, where not everyone around me knew who “Sgt. Tony” was and I was treated with all the curiosity one might show to a stray dog in the neighborhood.

After a couple of years of doing this, the three geniuses who’d launched Jabberblabber, along with a group of volunteers, put together the nuts and bolts of what became the Jabberblabber TV Show. And again they included me.

In addition to the dancing, we also filmed about 25 spots where I said things like, “Sergeant Tony wants you to brush your teeth everyday!” and “Sergeant Tony wants you to read for 30 minutes everyday!” Most of the spots were written by the magazine’s creative staff, but I got to ad-lib a few! But the dance moves, well … the dance moves were all mine! Long before Gangham Style, I had moves that only Psy could hope to duplicate!

The production crew took all of our many filmed spots and sections and put them together in creative and new ways, making new shows out of spots that had been filmed years before. It was sort of like how Taco Bell keeps coming up with new menu items using the same ingredients they’ve had forever.

We had a really great run of several years—I don’t think the show is still being broadcast, but I’m not sure—and it’s how I became a minor celebrity in Memphis for a few years! Well, a minor celebrity among children, that is!

During the 5 or 6 years I volunteered as a part of the Jabberblabber staff, I never lost sight of the fact that kids all across our community were being reached and influenced. They were being encouraged and motivated to express themselves through the arts. They were encouraged to use any kind of artistic medium: drawing, painting, writing, singing, practically every media that children could use to express themselves. And I was happy to do whatever I could to advance that message … even if it meant doing some pretty silly dance moves!

Along the way I had the opportunity to bring a little light into the lives of kids who might’ve been living in a dark place or were going through a hard time. I like to think that every sick child I met and hugged as “Sgt. Tony from Jabberblabber” got well … or that every serious situation I tried to answer in my advice column worked out. I just can’t bear to think otherwise.

So if you haven’t seen those video clips, just ask Ashley! She’s posted a few on Facebook and they’ve already traumatized hundreds so far. One video that Ashley posted has been viewed over 650 time! Or you can just Google them. They’re finally—as in just in the past few weeks—available on YouTube. So it looks like Sgt. Tony’s dance moves and advice will live on and on in perpetuity! Citizens of the world, you’re welcome!

— 30 —

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BUFFALO RUNNERS HALF MARATHON TRAINING THIS SATURDAY!

Our training continues on Saturday at 7am! We’ll meet at the same place at Shelby Farms: in the parking lot of the main playground, near the temporary Visitor’s Center and Go Ape ropes course.

If you’re not training for the St. Jude Half, you’re still welcome to get your 1 hour of CC with the group!

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TODAY’S NUTRITION TALK
by Gunnery Sergeant Ashley Holloway, RD LDN,
(An Registered Dietitian has a BS in Food Science, followed by a one year internship through an accredited university, and then with the recommendation of the internship program’s supervisor, a national examination is required. After that, an RD must have continuing education units annually in order to remain active and registered. An RD is an expert, not a hobbyist or a “food enthusiast.”)

How Sweet It is

My name is Ashley and I have a sweet tooth. I admit it, I love, love, love sweets! Any kind will do, but I especially love ice cream, donuts, and any type of homemade cookie. You might think by having a career in nutrition that I live off of tofu, carrot sticks, and rice cakes. I eat the first two, but hate the third (who wants to eat cardboard anyway?)

I think that my sweet obsession began long ago when at age 14, I got my first job, at Baskin Robbins. Back then, every shift I worked I was allowed to have two free scoops of ice cream. I ate my two free scoops every shift without fail. I can say for a fact that I tried all 31 flavors, several times. You would think that I would detest ice cream now, but it is still my favorite food without a doubt, no matter how cold it is outside.
Now that I am a Registered Dietitian, I don’t eat two scoops a day anymore, but when I do have ice cream, I go out and have a cone, sundae, or milkshake. I rarely buy a carton of it at the store because I will have a big “bubba” bowl of it every night until it is gone. Which doesn’t take long (you should see the bowl).

In order to satisfy my huge sweet tooth I try to put a healthier spin on some of my favorites. When I make cookies, I sometimes use whole wheat flour, dark chocolate, heart healthy nuts, and even slightly reduce the amount of sugar and fat in the recipe. My cookies still taste delicious, but are just a tad bit healthier. One of my favorite “ice cream” recipes is from Cooking Light Magazine. It is for mango-banana frozen yogurt, a great post run or exercise treat that is low in fat and high in calcium. If your sweet tooth is as big as mine, I know that you will enjoy it just as much as I do.

Mango-Banana Frozen Yogurt
1 cup sliced ripe banana
3/4 cup chopped peeled mango (can use frozen or canned)
1/3 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 cups 2% low-fat milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 (16-ounce) carton vanilla low-fat yogurt

Combine first 4 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Combine banana mixture and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk.
Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Spoon into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze (ripen) at least 1 hour.

Yield: 6 cups (serving size: 1/2 cup) Source: Cooking Light, 1997

Calories 118 /fat 1.1g (sat 0.7g,mono 0.3g,poly 0.1g)/Cholesterol 4mg/Calcium 105mg/Carbohydrates 24.9g/Sodium 41mg/Protein 3.1g/Fiber 0.5g

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Running With Music!

If you run with music, for safety’s sake, turn the music down or use only one earbud, especially in a race. I recently bought an excellent single earbud (XDU Noise Isolating Earbud) from Far End Gear http://farendgear.com/xdu/)

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MAKE A FACE!!!!

INCREASE YOUR WEIGHTS!

YOU GET OUT WHAT YOU PUT IN!

What you get out of the workouts is determined by you.

How much do you work? How much effort you put into trying to do all of the repetitions with proper form and how much weight you’re using will determine what you get out of each workout.

YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!
YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!
YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!
YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!
YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!

It’s time for you to go up in weights … that’s what I’m thinking!

MAKING A FACE (THE GRIMACE) IS THE POOR MAN’S (OR WOMAN’S) FACELIFT!

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EVERY WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY ARE T-SHIRT DAY!

WEAR YOUR RANK INSIGNIA SHIRT, SUB 7 SHIRT, OR OTHER USMC FITNESS BOOT CAMP SHIRT EVERY WEDNESDAY!

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THE GOOFY CLUB

Members of The Goofy Club are boot campers who’ve run the Walt Disney World Goofy Challenge in Florida. Club members participated in the Marathon Weekend in Orlando by running a half marathon (13.1 miles) on Saturday and then running a full marathon (26.2 miles) the next day!

Dory Sellers (2015)
Chris McLelland (2015)
Kay Ryan x 2! (2013 & 2015)
Alan Compton (2013)
Ashley Holloway (2013)
Tony Ludlow x 2 (2009, 2013)
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THE IRON CLUB

Iron Club members have run one or more (or multiple) Ironman series triathlons: the 70.3 (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run; often called the Half Ironman) and the 140.3 (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run, the Full Ironman!)

Scot Bearup 70.3 & 140.6
Andrew Forsdick 70.3 & 140.6
Tony Ludlow 70.3
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SUB SEVEN CLUB!
Members of the Sub-7 Club are Boot Campers who’ve run the mile in under 7 minutes under my observation and timing.
Sam Podesta
Ben Newsham x 2
Tim Jacobs
Lee Chase,
Chris McLelland,
Andrew Stolnicki,
Dory Sellers,
Henry Kenworthy,
Matt Green,
Andrew Forsdick
Tony Ludlow

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ACTIVE DUTY ROSTER OF VETERAN BOOT CAMPERS!

Are you coming up on promotion? Let me know! If you’ve been in the program for 6 months straight, you should be on the roster!

Every Wednesday is our Official BOOT CAMP T-SHIRT DAY! You can wear your rank insignia shirt anytime you‘d like, of course, but always every Wednesday!

The ACTIVE DUTY ROSTER

Under 6 months is a Private

Private First Class is more than 6 months but less than 1 year.

Over 1 year is a Lance Corporal
– Pam Torres – meritoriously promoted 12/2012
– Teresa Reed 2/2012*
– Emma Crystal 5/2012
– Megan Collins 6/2012
– Maria Wyatt 6/2012
– Chuck Miller 11/2012
– Diane Gorney 12/2012
– Lexie Johnston 12/201?
– Ashley Summers 2/2014
– Ben Summers 2/2013
– Sam Lee 2/2013
– Louise Biedenharn 2/2013
– Jay Biedenharn 2/2013
– Ragan Washburn 2/2013
– Mary Holland Doan 4/2013
– Kay Barkoh 4/2013
– Melissa Campbell 4/2013
– Gina Tice 4/2013
– Jennie Latta 6/2013
– Mallory Raffensberger 8/2013
– Ashley Bowles 8/2013
– Greg Gaston 8/2013
– Steve Pike 9/2013
– Karen Tronsor 9/2013
– “El” McCain 11/2013
– Angela Moore 12/2013
– Jenn Bonner 12/2013
– Brett Bonner 1/2014
– Mandy Tenent 3/2014

Over 2 years is a Corporal
– Jeremy Harris 1/2009*
– JD Dombroski 4/2011
– Carrie Schule 5/2011
– Mary Bauer 6/2011
– Lee Chase 7/2011
– Tait Keller 8/2011
– Heath Alderson 9/2011
– Lindsey Stanfill 9/2011
– ShaWanda Upshaw 10/2011
– Tara Ingram 11/2011
– Rachel Phillips 2/2012
– Jean Maskas 2/2012
– Keith Renard 4/2012
– Alan Compton 4/2012
– Steve Havard 5/2012
– Beth Stengel 2/2012
– Chris Kelley 6/2102
– Lora Gubanov 8/2012
– Susye Clark 7/2012
– Orli Weisser-Pike 9/2012
– Lindsey Leet 9/2013
– Morgan Johnson 9/2012

Over 3 years is a Sergeant
– Ashley McClure 7/2010
– Jenni Harris 8/2010
– Anne Marie Wyatt 8/2010
– Paul Bauer 11/2010
– Robin Scott 3/2011
– Chris McLelland 3/2011
– Randal Rhea 4/2011
– Cindy King 4/2011
– Sherri Thompson 4/2011
– Melissa Thompson 5/2011
– Michelle Moss 5/2011
– Becky Lawler 5/2010*

Over 4 years is a Staff Sergeant
– Jonathan Phillips 10/2008*
– Karen Massey 11/2009
– Cecelia DeLacy 2/2010
– Malinda Miller 3/2010
– Beth Mills 5/2010
– Emily Melonas 6/2010
– Keith Renard 6/2009*
– Tim Romanow 8/2010

Over 5 years is a Gunnery Sergeant
– Patrick Moore 9/2008*
– Jessie Flanders 1/2009
– Andrew Stolnicki 1/2009
– Paul Tronsor 3/2009
– Robert Hunt 8/2009*
– Jay Mednikow 3/2010
– Ashley Holloway 4/2010

Over 6 years is a Master Sergeant
– Anne Mead 2/2005*
– Beth Rehrig 7/2007
– Matt Prince 6/2007
– Frank Jemison 10/2007
– Patty Dougherty 3/2008
– Oscar Adams 3/2008
– Alan Schaeffer 5/2008
– Mike Ryan 5/2006*
– Dory Sellers 6/2006*
– Albo Carruthers 8/2008
– Anne Kenworthy 8/2008

Over 7 years is a First Sergeant
– Kay Ryan 10/2006
– Michelle Crockett 3/2007
– George Rose 5/2007
– Henry Kenworthy 5/2007
– Leslie Garey 6/2007

Over 8 years is a Sergeant Major
– Louis Glazer 3/2005
– Gary Thompson 10/2005
– Scot Bearup 10/2005
– Kay Shelton 1/2006
– Leesa Jensen 5/2006
– Megan Warr 8/2006
– Rob Norcross 8/2006

Over 9 years is a Warrant Officer 1
– Matt Green 5/2005
– Mike Barta 6/2005*
– Anne Emmerth 6/2005*

Over 10 years is a Chief Warrant Officer 2
– Buddy Flinn 7/2003
– David Townsend 1/2004
– Hank Brown 3/2004
– Andrew Forsdick 9/2004
– Melissa Moore 2/2005

Over 11 years is a Chief Warrant Officer 3
– Pat McGhee 1/2003
– John Whittemore 1/2003
– Peter Pettit 5/2003
– Amy Singer 9/2003

Battalion Executive Officer
Major Richard Bourland, 9/2003

* broken time

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ARE WE FACEBOOK FRIENDS?

We should be!

HAVE YOU “LIKED” THE USMC FITNESS BOOT CAMP FACEBOOK PAGE?

You should totally do that!

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BOOT CAMP DISCOUNT

If you set up an automatic payment at your bank (Boot Camp mailing address is 4888 Southern, Memphis 38117) you can subtract $10 off your fee!

(This is not in conjunction with other discounts and is not an automatic bank draft that I set up with a voided check. This an automatic payment that you yourself set up yourself with your bank usually online and easy as pie!)

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USMC FITNESS BOOT CAMP CLASSES

0530 Monday through Friday
(First and second Tuesday of the month are M-16 Workouts at CUMC. Third and fourth Tuesdays are Mt. Fuji Workouts at the U of M)
5:45 PM: Monday through Thursday, 5:30 on Friday.

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BOOT CAMP DISCOUNTS AND FACEBOOK EXPERIMENT!

First of all, find me on Facebook and make me your friend. (Also, be sure to “like” USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP on Facebook.)

Here’s how the discount works!

It’s simple: make a Facebook status update and get a discount!

For every status update that you make that references:
“USMC Fitness Boot Camp,”
“Sgt. Tony’s Boot Camp,”
“Tony’s Boot Camp,”
or something similar, (there are fake boot camps out there) you can take $2.50 off your next reenlistment fee for each update!

You can take up to $20 off for any given month!

Your status update has to be a specific reference to USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP or to me specifically by name.

BE SURE TO TAG ME!

You can do the same thing by “checking in” at USMC Fitness Boot Camp either by using Facebook “places,” Foursquare, or any of the other “check in” apps that show up on your Facebook News Feed.

So log on and start getting your discounts now!

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Q. How can I get up in the morning on a consistent basis?
A. Contrary to what many think, I am NOT a morning person. I have to be “dynamited” out of the bed! Here are some tips to help you get going in the morning:
1. Use two alarm clocks. I have a snooze alarm that starts going off several minutes before I intend to get up. Then I have a “Last Call” alarm clock that is located across the room. This alarm clock is set to go off when I MUST get up.
2. Once the last call alarm goes off, the bed becomes OFF LIMITS! Get moving!
3. Get out of bed, turn off the alarm clock, and start turning on lights all through the house. Turn the TV on!
4. Lay out your clothes the night before. Don’t go wandering around the house in the morning trying to find your left shoe and your favorite shorts. So, have things ready the night before.

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What would you do if money was not an issue, fear was not a factor, and failure was not an option?

To your optimum health and fitness!

SEE YOU ON THE QUARTERDECK!

Tony

Sergeant Major Tony Ludlow

USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP, Commanding
Mailing address: 4888 Southern Ave., Memphis, TN 38117
Cell Phone: 901-644-0145

“This is what I want you to know about me,” she said, sitting down next to me.

“Well, um … okay,” I said, with a noticeable sense of surprise in my voice.

“I was raised in Birmingham, Alabama, born into an old Southern family. My family history goes back well before the Civil War. I was the middle of three children. I have an older brother and I had a younger sister, but she’s no longer with us.”

What she said about her younger sister surprised me because my new friend, a stranger who’d just sat down next to me on a flight to Charlotte, appeared to be in her late 20s or early 30s and having a younger sibling who had passed away seemed an unusual thing to me.

“I started playing the viola when I was 9 years old and when I was 13 my parents sent me and my viola to an all girls private boarding school in New Hampshire. I showed up there with my luggage, my viola tucked underneath my arm, and an oversized bow in my hair, in the Southern junior debutante tradition, you see. Though I wasn’t dressed for the Cotillion, my new northeasterner friends made fun of me, as if I were their mentally challenged southern cousin from the wrong side of the family. My bow was the subject of particular derision and snickering. I was soon to learn that young ladies from the northeast were not wearers of bows, but wore their vanity with unbridled pride.

“I had not been there long before I realized that my parents had made a grievous error in choosing that school for me. There was another boarding school across the bay that would have suited me much better. My school was known to produce young women who married doctors. The school I wanted to go to produced women who became doctors. The girls at my school were silly, immature, and shallow. They had no discipline and no ambition. My parents would hear nothing of a transfer to the other school and so I was left to struggle among girls with whom I shared little. Fortunately for me I was not alone, and I enjoyed the company of about half a dozen young ladies who held similar goals as my own.

“I won a music scholarship and attended Vanderbilt University where I played the viola. After I graduated from Vanderbilt, I went to law school at Emory and now I’m on my way to interview for a clerk’s position in Philadelphia. And oh, by the way, my name is Laura.”

Ordinarily it’s a bad sign when someone starts talking to you like that; a perfect stranger who wraps their metaphoric arms around you and throws you both over the cliff. But Laura was different and her story was compelling and her manner winsome and warm. And she was cute. She made me want to know more about her story. And so I asked questions.

In the process, I learned that her younger sister had committed suicide at 24 after a heartbreaking end to a long term relationship with a young man she had expected to marry. Laura told me about her family and described her father in great detail. He was a pediatrician in Birmingham and I pictured him to be the quintessential Southern gentleman, probably wearing a seersucker suit and Panama hat in the summer. Laura said that he often referred to overweight girls as “sturdy lasses.” I liked her father and wished I knew him.

I don’t know if Laura thought of me as a friend, but when we said goodbye that day, but I felt like she was one of mine. Some people are just like that.

At the end of my 10th grade year in high school, straitened circumstances forced me to move from Fort Smith, Arkansas, where I’d lived my whole life, to El Paso, Texas. My parents had divorced years before and my father was living in El Paso with his wife and my two younger half brothers. So in June of 1973, I moved to Texas.

But I was miserable in El Paso that summer. I missed my friends back home and felt lonely and alone. I had no friends in El Paso and knew absolutely no one outside of my immediate family. The summer passed like molasses and every day seemed 48 hours long. So I got a job throwing newspapers and working at a Pizza Hut. When school finally started, I couldn’t have been happier. At least now I’d have a chance to make some new friends.

But that didn’t happen.

Well, not in the usual way that you make friends. If Laura from the flight to Charlotte had a relative, it could have been a guy in my class at Irvin High School in El Paso named Leo Cancellare.

I don’t remember any kind of normal introduction with Leo. The kind where you say hi, and the other person says hi, and you say nice to meet you, and they say nice to meet you. He just started talking to me on the first day of school like we’d known each other our whole lives. Out of the blue! He was like Laura! So familiar and personable was his conversation with me, I thought for sure he had mistaken me for one of his close friends and at some point he’d realize his mistake and say, “oh, sorry, man.” But he didn’t. He just grabbed me and threw us both over the edge! I felt like I had been treading water at night in the ocean waiting for a rescue, and here came Leo in a fast rubber boat that never slowed down but somehow managed to snatch me up and toss me in!

Leo was without a doubt the most energetic and charismatic person I’d ever met! Everybody seemed to know him in a big city school and everyone loved him! He was that guy! And for reasons I never really knew, nor could I even guess, he wanted to make me—a kid from Arkansas and new to the school, with nothing to commend him— a part of his inner circle of friends. I seriously offered nothing in the way of social status and had no social capital to barter. I was a nobody from nowhere with nothing. And once Leo found out where I was from, he gave me the nickname of “Arkansas!” that was eventually shortened to just “Ark.” And that’s how he introduced me to practically everyone who lived in El Paso, Texas … because it seemed that he knew everyone!

Leo made me join the swim team with him because the football team had no open positions, he said, and besides, there were girls on the swim team and none on the football team! Plus he was Captain of the team and a fantastic swimmer, gifted and natural and it just seemed to be a part of him. I think he had chlorine in his blood and gills instead of lungs. And he had a heart as big as his home state, made of pure gold. I’d never seen anyone so well liked!

Friendship with Leo opened doors to friends all over the school. I had friends in every class and in every social circle because of Leo. On weekends that fall semester, at Leo’s invitation (read: insistence), I joined him and a bunch of other guys to play football and to hang out with everyone.

After Tuesday evening swim meets, we would all go to a pancake house that had “all you can eat pancakes” for some ridiculously low price and we’d eat till we were sick to death of pancakes. Leo’s idea, of course.

Just before the Christmas break that junior year at Irvin High School, circumstances changed again and I found myself preparing to move back to Fort Smith. Remarkably, I also found myself saddened to leave. I’d made so many new friends and had such an incredible time in those three and a half months that I was an Irvin High Rocket. But all of it, every friend and every good experience, I could trace back to my friendship with Leo. I shed more than a tear saying goodbye and hugged him hard. A guy I’d only known for less than 4 months had made such a tremendous difference in my life. And it made me want to pay it forward.

I moved back to Fort Smith in late December 1973, just a few days before New Years. And like everyone, before the days of the internet, I sadly lost touch with Leo and all of my friends in El Paso. And the same thing happened a couple of years later losing touch with most of my friends from high school in Fort Smith after graduation. Everyone scatters to the winds and literally to the four corners of the earth … and we lose touch …

Sometime during the MySpace days and prior to the arrival of Facebook, I attempted to do a little internet search of old friends, mostly trying to find guys I served with in the Marine Corps. And then I tried to find Leo. It’s hard to explain to people who’ve always had the internet and Google just how hard it was to find people back in the stone-age. Now it would almost seem impossible to be anonymous. If someone were looking for me now, it would take zero minutes to find me using THE Google! Most of us leave a pretty findable electronic footprint.

In 2004 I finally found Leo in a Google search! He had remained in El Paso, married Vera, also an Irvin High alum, went to UTEP, had a family, and went into education and coaching! Good lord, I thought, how similar were the paths our lives had taken! Leo had become one of the most successful high school swimming coaches in Texas! Over 80 of his athletes had gone to college on swimming scholarships, others had gone on to the Olympics! In El Paso there is the Leo Cancellare Aquatic Center! “Well done, my friend,” I shouted! I was elated!

And then my heart sunk low when I read about his death. Leo had died on April 2, 1999 after a valiant fight with cancer. My eyes immediately filled with tears. In 2004 it was 5 years after his passing, but for me, it was as if this remarkable man had just died that very moment. A friend who’d occupied a special place in my memories for all of those years was gone.

I continued to read tributes and memorials dedicated to my friend. The accolades for him were astonishing, but not surprising. He had touched untold numbers of people! The 16 year old boy I knew, had become every bit the incredible man he was destined to be! His mark on thousands of lives was right there for me to read about. Tony Ludlow had been only one of those thousands that Leo had befriended during his life! I was one of thousands of people he made to feel special and important. What a legacy he had left! He had accomplished more in 41 years of living than most would do in three lifetimes. Some men choose to make money … Leo chose to make a difference. And once again I felt inspired by him.

Later, I was able to find Vera’s address and wrote her a letter, one of thousands that she’s surely received about her husband since his passing. And once Mark Zuckerberg invented Facebook, Vera and I became friends there too. She is featured in this video that I just discovered yesterday. It’s about 10 minutes long, but I promise you it’ll be worth the time you take to watch it. If you want to know what a friend looks like, what a leader does, what a life changer sounds like, may I humbly ask you to take a look at this video.

Here’s my friend, Leo Cancellare. Thank you for watching.

Leo is third from the right.

— 30 —

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TODAY’S NUTRITION TALK
by Gunnery Sergeant Ashley Holloway, RD LDN,
(An Registered Dietitian has a BS in Food Science, followed by a one year internship through an accredited university. And then with the recommendation of the internship program’s supervisor, a national examination is required. After that, an RD must have continuing education units annually in order to remain active and registered. An RD is an expert, not a hobbyist or a “food enthusiast.”)

Common Food Myths … Busted!

Myth: You need to eat a lot of protein in order to build muscle.

Fact: Protein alone does not build muscle mass. A strength-training program, along with enough calories from healthy foods, recovery time and sleep, are also needed for building muscle. Sure, you need protein, but overdoing it adds extra calories and won’t build bigger muscles.

While most people get enough protein from their daily diet, strength-training athletes, like bodybuilders, might benefit from more protein, especially in post-workout snacks. But even that extra amount of protein can be met by simply choosing protein-rich foods from Canada’s Food Guide, such as lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, lower-fat milk and alternatives, and legumes.

Myth: “Multi grain” means the same thing as “whole grain.”

Fact: Don’t be fooled by marketing. Multi-grain isn’t always whole grain. Multi-grain products include different grains, but they may not be whole. You’ll get the greatest health benefits from eating whole grains. To make sure a food is made with whole grains, look on the food label’s ingredient list for the words “whole grain” in front of each grain name. If whole grains are the main ingredients in a food, they should appear first in the ingredient list. Make at least half of your grain products whole grain each day.

Myth: If the label says “fat free” the food has no fat.

Fact: Actually, if a food has less than a half a gram of fat per serving the Food and Drug Administration says that the food manufacturer can round down the amount on the label to zero. But if you eat four servings, you are actually getting 2 grams of fat NOT zero. If the ingredient label lists words like oil, then it does contain some fat!

Myth: The calories listed on the Nutrition Facts Panel are for the whole box/carton

Fact: You may be eating more calories than you realize. If you think that the bowl of ice cream you are eating has only 150 calories and that a bowl of cereal is only 120 calories, you may be sorely mistaken. The calories listed on the Nutrition Facts panel are for one serving. But are you only eating one serving, or are you eating two, or maybe even three? If you didn’t measure how much you put in your bowl or on your plate, you could be consuming a lot more calories than you think.

Myth: Lean ground meat means low fat.

Fact: According to the USDA, lean ground meat is defined as containing no more than 10% fat, which means that it is 90% lean, right? Yes, but there is a catch: the percentage refers to product WEIGHT, not the percentage of calories from fat. Four ounces of lean ground beef contains 199 calories and 11 grams of fat, but since each fat gram is 9 calories, this means that 99 of the 199 calories are from fat, or in other words this ground beef is 50% fat! So if you are looking to reduce your fat intake, think even leaner, go for extra lean ground beef which is only about 33% fat.

Myth: All organic foods are healthy.

Fact: Organic cookies and ice cream are still cookies and ice cream. An organic food (or its ingredients) is grown without pesticides, antibiotics, or growth hormones. That may be admirable, but it doesn’t automatically make it a health food or lower in calories or higher in nutrients. Read your labels!

Myth: Eating certain types of foods will help boost your metabolism.

Fact: The whole idea of metabolism boosting foods is generally a myth perpetuated by hype and the marketing of different diet products and services. Your metabolic rate is determined by your gender, height, weight, body composition, and age. While there are a few foods that may very temporarily increase your calorie burn such as hot peppers and cold water, these effects are so very small that they should be secondary weight loss strategies, not primary.

Myth: Some foods are “free foods” and can be eaten without risk of gaining weight.

Fact: No foods are calorie free and calories do add up! Some foods have few calories (such as most vegetables), therefore, you can eat a lot of broccoli before the calories start adding up. But If you eat more calories than your body needs, no matter if it is from broccoli, or carrots, or celery … you WILL gain weight!

(Many thanks to Ashley, our Staff Registered Dietitian, for always steering us to facts and evidence and away from hype and half-truths!)

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BUFFALO RUNNERS!

HALF MARATHON TRAINING RUN THIS WEEKEND!

Our 26th half marathon training group has its first official training run on Saturday at 7am! (This is a time change from the 6:30am time I announced earlier this week.

We’ll meet in the parking lot of the main playground (the newest one) at Shelby Farms. This is just up from the lake with the paddle boats and Go Ape Zip Lines.

We’ll be running 1hr 20min on Saturday, using the run/walk program made popular by the top marathon coaches in the country.

ALL ARE WELCOME! This first run is FREE for all newbies, just to see if this is something they can do. The cost for the 3 months of training is $75 for active duty boot campers and $125 for inactive boot campers and “friends of boot camp.”

Bring water and/or sports drink (Gatorade, Powerade, etc.) and one, or possibly two, servings of a calorie replacement food as well (GU, Powerbar, PB&J, Cliff Bar, etc.)

SEE YOU SATURDAY!!

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Running With Music!

If you run with music, for safety’s sake, turn the music down or use only one earbud, especially in a race. I recently bought an excellent single earbud (XDU Noise Isolating Earbud) from Far End Gear http://farendgear.com/xdu/)

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MAKE A FACE!!!!

INCREASE YOUR WEIGHTS!

YOU GET OUT WHAT YOU PUT IN!

What you get out of the workouts is determined by you.

How much do you work? How much effort you put into trying to do all of the repetitions with proper form and how much weight you’re using will determine what you get out of each workout.

YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!
YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!
YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!
YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!
YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!

It’s time for you to go up in weights … that’s what I’m thinking!

MAKING A FACE (THE GRIMACE) IS THE POOR MAN’S (OR WOMAN’S) FACELIFT!

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What would you do if money was not an issue, fear was not a factor, and failure was not an option?

To your optimum health and fitness!

SEE YOU ON THE QUARTERDECK!

Tony

Sergeant Major Tony Ludlow

USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP, Commanding
Mailing address: 4888 Southern Ave., Memphis, TN 38117
Cell Phone: 901-644-0145

I was standing in line at the grocery store the other day, doing what we all do. Thinking about shoplifting.

No, of course not. I was looking around at the stuff that you can impulse buy.

The checkout lines give you another chance to buy candy bars, chewing gum, lighters, playing cards, and an assorted mix of reading materials. Tabloids and gossip magazines with their titillating headlines beckon you to buy it. They’re usually filled with information about people I don’t know about and things I don’t care about. I don’t watch American Idol, or Dancing with the Stars, or anything that involves a Kardashian or anyone named Kanye. I don’t want to know another thing about anybody named Duggar. I’m not interested in the latest young starlet’s shoplifting arrest, anything about someone being jilted, or looking at the unflattering beach photos of the mystery star who’s let themselves go. I don’t want to look at anyone’s cellulite or beer gut. I would, however, read stuff about Tom Brady being a cheater.

I also suffer from having done graduate level work in philosophy, theology, history, and language and that’s a curse. This makes reading stuff on Facebook and the cover of grocery store tabloids almost unbearable. I think I might write an essay someday called “Everything I Know About Metaphysics I Learned from Facebook.” Or maybe something like “Religion and Politics Championed on Facebook.” Or “The Soul of Our Republic According to Twitter.”

One of those tabloids was actually an astrology booklet. The booklet said that you can use the stars to be happy and lucky. Oh??? The stars, eh? OK. If that’s something you follow, good on ya! But …

The mention of luck reminded me of an article I wrote a few years ago about increasing your luck. Some people “seem” to be luckier than others. And most of the time, there’s a pretty good explanation for someone’s luck.

I thought today might be a good time to revisit those ways to bring more “luck” your way.

Ten Ways to Increase Your Luck

1. Pay attention to your surroundings. You won’t spot the $20 bill on the sidewalk unless you’re looking. Be alert! Look around! Keep your eyes and ears open! Noticing things, listening, and paying attention to what goes on around you and in the world in general gives you knowledge that makes you seem more lucky simply because you’re more informed and better equipped to make decisions. And these days, it’ll help you stay safe.

2. Strike up conversations with strangers. (Ladies, you probably need to be a LITTLE cautious here.) You never know who you’ll meet, the contacts you’ll establish, the new friends you’ll make, or the people you can help. This is one of my favorite things to do! Clerks, waiters, cashiers, are usually pretty safe to talk to and an interesting conversation will often make their shift, if not their day, a lot brighter!

3. Stay relaxed, especially in pressure situations. People who are tense and panicked tend to have tunnel vision, or no vision at all. They act out of fear, or anger, frustration, or confusion. And often react inappropriately, in haste, and almost always in error. According to Rudyard Kipling, a real man “can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs.” Lucky people aren’t people who run their lives guided by the least reliable emotions: anger and fear.

4. Vary your daily routine. I know a woman who believes that God is going to give her a husband. She’s been waiting for over 20 years. She goes to work, comes home, and goes to church. Her routine never varies. I guess she’s going to marry the FedEx guy or the UPS guy, whoever delivers her Amazon Prime orders. I don’t think she’s met anyone new in years. If she wants to get lucky, she’s gonna have to get out of that little bubble that coddles her, insulates her, and which presents no risk … and no husband. It also offers no opportunity to grow intellectually or experientially.

5. Be aggressive and decisive about making the changes you want in your life. A sailboat isn’t maneuverable unless it’s moving. It needs wind in its sails. When it’s dead in the water, it’s impossible to steer. MOVE! Nike said, “Just Do It” And Shakespeare said, “The bow is drawn, make straight the arrow.” When I was giving initial thought to moving me and my family to Japan as a civilian, I realized that the only one who was interested in me achieving my dreams was me. And the only one who was going to DO anything about making that happen was … wait for it … ME! It would have been much easier to just talk myself out of it and forget about the whole thing. (Do you have any idea how daunting the task is to move yourself, your wife, and your three little kids to the other side of the world as a civilian? Try to imagine all of the details and concerns that go into making a move across town and then raise that to the 27th power.) Be aggressive and decisive about what you want in your life! You either fulfill your own dreams, or you end up working to fulfill someone else’s.

6. Follow your hunches and gut feelings. Pay attention when something doesn’t feel quite right. I’m not talking about daily paranoia or constant suspicion of everything around you. But listen when the universe talks to you. Every time my gut has told me to run and I stayed, I regretted it. Every time my gut has alerted me that a situation or a person wasn’t right for me and I ignored the warning, I lived to regret it. I listen more carefully to my gut now and act accordingly.

7. Expect good things. If you think something good is going to happen you’ll be more likely to spot it when it does. And associated with this is giving people the benefit of the doubt. Miserable people assume the worst and usually get it. Remember the “reverse paranoia” I told you about a few weeks ago? Expect the world to be ready to help you. Have that attitude. Use that template to frame the world around you. Do you have any “Negative Nellies” or “Negative Neals” in your life? Don’t be them! When they post their negative crap on Facebook, or launch into their latest negative tirade in the break room, boardroom, or bedroom, move on, delete it, ignore it, unsubscribe, tune it out, or divorce it.

8. Smile. Not only does this inspire others to smile back, but it is the easiest and fastest thing you can do to make yourself look more attractive and accessible … unless you’re missing a lot of teeth. (Then you should contact my friends Dr. John Whittemore, DDS. or Dr. Dory Sellers, DDS.) Try it out. Smile at the people you meet. But not in a creepy way!

9. Outlast bad luck and look for opportunities. Often a negative turn of events creates unexpected opportunities for good things. I started USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP because I was strapped for money over 16 years ago and needed to supplement my teacher’s salary to make ends meet. Now look at the EMPIRE that has grown from me being broke! A few years ago, a guy criticized and ridiculed my company and my work. He said, “too bad your business isn’t doing very good.” He’s not a friend, never been a Boot Camper, and felt a need to put me down. He was so full of arrogance and pride when he said those things to me. I said nothing in response or in defense. In the years since he made that comment he and his wife have filed for bankruptcy … twice. Outlast the “bad luck” and the haters. Outlast the arrogant and ignorant critics of your life. Look for opportunities in every situation to excel and succeed! Look for the good! Look for the openings! Like a football player running with the ball, look for daylight in the whole of the chaos in front of you and run for it, no matter how small that light might be! And then don’t be like Lot’s wife from the Old Testament. Keep moving forward. Don’t look back.

10. Be positive, grateful, and thankful. Ever notice how people who exhibit those things seem to be so happy … seem to be so lucky? Are thankful people happy or are happy people thankful? Putting positive energy out there into the world comes back to you! Your attitude determines your altitude, determines your luck, determines your world view.

Given my formal study of philosophy, you might think that my favorite philosopher might be Socrates, Plato, Voltaire, Aristotle, Kant, or Emerson. But you’d be wrong. My favorite philosopher is Eastwood. Clint Eastwood:

“I know what you’re thinking. ‘Did he fire six shots or only five?’ Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you’ve got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well … do ya … punk?”

Dirty Harry says, “Get lucky!”

I hope you all get lucky today!

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TODAY’S NUTRITION TALK
by Gunnery Sergeant Ashley Holloway, RD LDN,
(An Registered Dietitian has a BS in Food Science, followed by a one year internship through an accredited university, and then with the recommendation of the internship program’s supervisor, a national examination is required. After that, an RD must have continuing education units annually in order to remain active and registered. An RD is an expert, not a hobbyist or a “food enthusiast.”)

Go Nuts!

If they aren’t already, nuts should be a staple of your diet! Nuts are nutritious, versatile, and tasty. You can add them to your oatmeal for breakfast, have a handful as a snack after your long run, or even sprinkle them in your salad with dinner.

Nuts such as almonds, Brazils, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts are a great source of calories, protein and fiber. Nuts and nut butters such as peanut butter, almond, and cashew butter also contain vitamins such as folic acid, niacin, Vitamin E and Vitamin B6 along with minerals such as potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, selenium, copper and zinc.

The fat content of nuts is high, but on average, 85% of the fat found in nuts is unsaturated. Walnuts in particular are a good source of those heart-healthy Omega 3 fatty acids. Nuts also contain disease-fighting antioxidants and phytochemicals and nuts are cholesterol free.

As little as one handful of nuts a day can provide nutritional benefits. There have been many studies on the nutritional benefits of nuts, and many studies show that nuts may help reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease by up to 20%. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seems to agree. In July 2003 the FDA approved the following health claim for nuts and heart disease: Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces (approximately one-third cup) per day of most nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.

If you are watching your weight, nuts are a good choice. The protein and fiber in nuts is also a great, natural appetite suppressant. And studies show that a handful of nuts a day does not appear to cause weight gain, as long as you control your caloric intake.

To keep nuts as fresh as possible, be sure to store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to six months or for up to one year in the freezer. To really bring out the flavor of nuts, try toasting them in the oven or on top of the stove for a few minutes until lightly browned. For better portion control, try putting a handful of nuts in individual, snack-size bags to keep in your desk at work. Enjoy this super sports food!

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LABOR DAY WEEKEND SCHEDULE

The Friday evening class and all Monday classes will stand-down. All classes will meet as usual on Tuesday!

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HALF MARATHON TRAINING

The first group run will be NEXT Saturday, September 12th. That run will be 1hr 20min. We’ll meet at Shelby Farms at 6am in front of the main playground, adjacent to the ropes course and zip lines.

All are welcome to participate! Not just boot campers. However, active duty boot campers only pay $75 for the three month training. All others — Friends of Boot Camp — pay $125.

More info to follow!

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Running With Music!

If you run with music, for safety’s sake, turn the music down or use only one earbud, especially in a race. I recently bought an excellent single earbud (XDU Noise Isolating Earbud) from Far End Gear http://farendgear.com/xdu/)

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MAKE A FACE!!!!

INCREASE YOUR WEIGHTS!

YOU GET OUT WHAT YOU PUT IN!

What you get out of the workouts is determined by you.

How much do you work? How much effort you put into trying to do all of the repetitions with proper form and how much weight you’re using will determine what you get out of each workout.

YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!
YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!
YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!
YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!
YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR WORKOUT IS HALF-ASS OR KICKASS!

It’s time for you to go up in weights … that’s what I’m thinking!

MAKING A FACE (THE GRIMACE) IS THE POOR MAN’S (OR WOMAN’S) FACELIFT!

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EVERY WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY ARE T-SHIRT DAY!

WEAR YOUR RANK INSIGNIA SHIRT, SUB 7 SHIRT, OR OTHER USMC FITNESS BOOT CAMP SHIRT EVERY WEDNESDAY!

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THE GOOFY CLUB

Members of The Goofy Club are boot campers who’ve run the Walt Disney World Goofy Challenge in Florida. Club members participated in the Marathon Weekend in Orlando by running a half marathon (13.1 miles) on Saturday and then running a full marathon (26.2 miles) the next day!

Dory Sellers (2015)
Chris McLelland (2015)
Kay Ryan x 2! (2013 & 2015)
Alan Compton (2013)
Ashley Holloway (2013)
Tony Ludlow x 2 (2009, 2013)
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THE IRON CLUB

Iron Club members have run one or more (or multiple) Ironman series triathlons: the 70.3 (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run; often called the Half Ironman) and the 140.3 (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run, the Full Ironman!)

Scot Bearup 70.3 & 140.6
Andrew Forsdick 70.3 & 140.6
Tony Ludlow 70.3
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SUB SEVEN CLUB!
Members of the Sub-7 Club are Boot Campers who’ve run the mile in under 7 minutes under my observation and timing.
Sam Podesta
Ben Newsham x 2
Tim Jacobs
Lee Chase,
Chris McLelland,
Andrew Stolnicki,
Dory Sellers,
Henry Kenworthy,
Matt Green,
Andrew Forsdick
Tony Ludlow

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ACTIVE DUTY ROSTER OF VETERAN BOOT CAMPERS!

Are you coming up on promotion? Let me know! If you’ve been in the program for 6 months straight, you should be on the roster!

Every Wednesday is our Official BOOT CAMP T-SHIRT DAY! You can wear your rank insignia shirt anytime you‘d like, of course, but always every Wednesday!

The ACTIVE DUTY ROSTER

Under 6 months is a Private

Private First Class is more than 6 months but less than 1 year.

Over 1 year is a Lance Corporal
– Pam Torres – meritoriously promoted 12/2012
– Teresa Reed 2/2012*
– Emma Crystal 5/2012
– Megan Collins 6/2012
– Maria Wyatt 6/2012
– Chuck Miller 11/2012
– Diane Gorney 12/2012
– Lexie Johnston 12/201?
– Ashley Summers 2/2014
– Ben Summers 2/2013
– Sam Lee 2/2013
– Louise Biedenharn 2/2013
– Jay Biedenharn 2/2013
– Ragan Washburn 2/2013
– Mary Holland Doan 4/2013
– Kay Barkoh 4/2013
– Melissa Campbell 4/2013
– Gina Tice 4/2013
– Jennie Latta 6/2013
– Mallory Raffensberger 8/2013
– Ashley Bowles 8/2013
– Greg Gaston 8/2013
– Steve Pike 9/2013
– Karen Tronsor 9/2013
– “El” McCain 11/2013
– Angela Moore 12/2013
– Jenn Bonner 12/2013
– Brett Bonner 1/2014
– Mandy Tenent 3/2014

Over 2 years is a Corporal
– Jeremy Harris 1/2009*
– JD Dombroski 4/2011
– Carrie Schule 5/2011
– Mary Bauer 6/2011
– Lee Chase 7/2011
– Tait Keller 8/2011
– Heath Alderson 9/2011
– Lindsey Stanfill 9/2011
– ShaWanda Upshaw 10/2011
– Tara Ingram 11/2011
– Rachel Phillips 2/2012
– Jean Maskas 2/2012
– Keith Renard 4/2012
– Alan Compton 4/2012
– Steve Havard 5/2012
– Beth Stengel 2/2012
– Chris Kelley 6/2102
– Lora Gubanov 8/2012
– Susye Clark 7/2012
– Orli Weisser-Pike 9/2012
– Lindsey Leet 9/2013
– Morgan Johnson 9/2012

Over 3 years is a Sergeant
– Ashley McClure 7/2010
– Jenni Harris 8/2010
– Anne Marie Wyatt 8/2010
– Paul Bauer 11/2010
– Robin Scott 3/2011
– Chris McLelland 3/2011
– Randal Rhea 4/2011
– Cindy King 4/2011
– Sherri Thompson 4/2011
– Melissa Thompson 5/2011
– Michelle Moss 5/2011
– Becky Lawler 5/2010*

Over 4 years is a Staff Sergeant
– Jonathan Phillips 10/2008*
– Karen Massey 11/2009
– Cecelia DeLacy 2/2010
– Malinda Miller 3/2010
– Jay Mednikow 3/2010
– Beth Mills 5/2010
– Emily Melonas 6/2010
– Keith Renard 6/2009*
– Tim Romanow 8/2010

Over 5 years is a Gunnery Sergeant
– Patrick Moore 9/2008*
– Jessie Flanders 1/2009
– Andrew Stolnicki 1/2009
– Paul Tronsor 3/2009
– Robert Hunt 8/2009*
– Ashley Holloway 4/2010

Over 6 years is a Master Sergeant
– Anne Mead 2/2005*
– Beth Rehrig 7/2007
– Matt Prince 6/2007
– Frank Jemison 10/2007
– Patty Dougherty 3/2008
– Oscar Adams 3/2008
– Alan Schaeffer 5/2008
– Mike Ryan 5/2006*
– Dory Sellers 6/2006*
– Albo Carruthers 8/2008
– Anne Kenworthy 8/2008

Over 7 years is a First Sergeant
– Kay Ryan 10/2006
– Michelle Crockett 3/2007
– George Rose 5/2007
– Henry Kenworthy 5/2007
– Leslie Garey 6/2007

Over 8 years is a Sergeant Major
– Louis Glazer 3/2005
– Gary Thompson 10/2005
– Scot Bearup 10/2005
– Kay Shelton 1/2006
– Leesa Jensen 5/2006
– Megan Warr 8/2006
– Rob Norcross 8/2006

Over 9 years is a Warrant Officer 1
– Matt Green 5/2005
– Mike Barta 6/2005*
– Anne Emmerth 6/2005*

Over 10 years is a Chief Warrant Officer 2
– Buddy Flinn 7/2003
– David Townsend 1/2004
– Hank Brown 3/2004
– Andrew Forsdick 9/2004
– Melissa Moore 2/2005

Over 11 years is a Chief Warrant Officer 3
– Pat McGhee 1/2003
– John Whittemore 1/2003
– Peter Pettit 5/2003
– Amy Singer 9/2003

Battalion Executive Officer
Major Richard Bourland, 9/2003

* broken time

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ARE WE FACEBOOK FRIENDS?

We should be!

HAVE YOU “LIKED” THE USMC FITNESS BOOT CAMP FACEBOOK PAGE?

You should totally do that!

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BOOT CAMP DISCOUNT

If you set up an automatic payment at your bank (Boot Camp mailing address is 4888 Southern, Memphis 38117) you can subtract $10 off your fee!

(This is not in conjunction with other discounts and is not an automatic bank draft that I set up with a voided check. This an automatic payment that you yourself set up yourself with your bank usually online and easy as pie!)

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USMC FITNESS BOOT CAMP CLASSES

0530 Monday through Friday
(First and second Tuesday of the month are M-16 Workouts at CUMC. Third and fourth Tuesdays are Mt. Fuji Workouts at the U of M)
5:45 PM: Monday through Thursday, 5:30 on Friday.

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BOOT CAMP DISCOUNTS AND FACEBOOK EXPERIMENT!

First of all, find me on Facebook and make me your friend. (Also, be sure to “like” USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP on Facebook.)

Here’s how the discount works!

It’s simple: make a Facebook status update and get a discount!

For every status update that you make that references:
“USMC Fitness Boot Camp,”
“Sgt. Tony’s Boot Camp,”
“Tony’s Boot Camp,”
or something similar, (there are fake boot camps out there) you can take $2.50 off your next reenlistment fee for each update!

You can take up to $20 off for any given month!

Your status update has to be a specific reference to USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP or to me specifically by name.

BE SURE TO TAG ME!

You can do the same thing by “checking in” at USMC Fitness Boot Camp either by using Facebook “places,” Foursquare, or any of the other “check in” apps that show up on your Facebook News Feed.

So log on and start getting your discounts now!

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Q. How can I get up in the morning on a consistent basis?
A. Contrary to what many think, I am NOT a morning person. I have to be “dynamited” out of the bed! Here are some tips to help you get going in the morning:
1. Use two alarm clocks. I have a snooze alarm that starts going off several minutes before I intend to get up. Then I have a “Last Call” alarm clock that is located across the room. This alarm clock is set to go off when I MUST get up.
2. Once the last call alarm goes off, the bed becomes OFF LIMITS! Get moving!
3. Get out of bed, turn off the alarm clock, and start turning on lights all through the house. Turn the TV on!
4. Lay out your clothes the night before. Don’t go wandering around the house in the morning trying to find your left shoe and your favorite shorts. So, have things ready the night before.

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What would you do if money was not an issue, fear was not a factor, and failure was not an option?

To your optimum health and fitness!

SEE YOU ON THE QUARTERDECK!

Tony

Sergeant Major Tony Ludlow

USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP, Commanding
Mailing address: 4888 Southern Ave., Memphis, TN 38117
Cell Phone: 901-644-0145