THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - 2nd 28 day | Day 20

I love listening to friends talk about how great life is.

Most of my friends are like this. How come? Because I chose them like that. I would not want to be surounded by negative people so I choose like minded friends.

People like you guys and gals who have been such a great support to me.. People who want to move forward. Only look backwards if you want to go in that direction.

I don't listen to the news, I don't read the papers, I watch TV intuitively, meaning if I am watching a movie I know nothing about and my spirit starts feeling disturbed...bang, bang, move on to National Geographic.

I don't think I'm being naive, I think I'm being realistic. My thought processes affect my life and I don't want to be at a dinner party where everyone says "oooh I hope I don't get mugged on the way home."

We are going through some turbulence in South Africa right now...political and criminal and all of a sudden a lot of people are leaving the country.

I speak to some of these and ask them why they are going. Most of them say they can't stand the crime. I then ask them how they have been affected by crime and a lot of them say..."We haven't, but we read about it in the papers,". Oh so you are making a decision based on something that MAY happen in the future. SAY WHAT? Boy if that isn't attracting bad stuff to you then I don't know what is.

Fill your mind with things of health and fitness, good positive happy friends, weekends filled with love and laughter and family, scrumptious BBQ's with super healthy tasty food. Fill your childrens heads full of good stuff, not stuff that MAY happen.

Remember 90% of your fears NEVER materialise. Live life as it is now, not as it may be tomorrow.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - 2nd 28 day | Day 19

7.00pm, just got back from the gym......there were a couple of young people in the gym training...or rather chatting, to each other, and asking me questions about nutrition in between. Made me think about success or not in your endevours, specifically in the gym. I see so many people who are just spinning the wheels before they head across the road for a 'big mac' and a 'coke light'.

Are we as health and fitness professionals doing the best we can to educate people like this.

The questions were coming thick and fast whilst I was training a client and I had to gently move them in a different direction. Now I wasn't being unkind but a paying client deserves my full attention.

How do I as a trainer help people who don't pay me. Well I do, but at a time that fits in with my schedule and not theirs. Motivation seems to wane when things don't go according to other people's diaries. However if someone really wants help I'm only to happy to help them understand how to read food labels, how to build the basis of a program, and the basics of nutrition. That's who I am.

Some trainers I know won't do a thing outside of the hour booked and paid for.

I think we have a duty to be as helpful as we can if we are to make a difference.

At the very least we are honour bound to explain to people why the way they are training is a complete waste of time.

1. When you walk into the gym, do so with full focus and a detailed plan of action...and check your ego at the door.
2. Plan what you are going to eat the following day and make sure you have it packed and ready to go when you head out of the door.
3. Make sure that you actually eat what you planned to.
4. Know how to do the exercises you have planned and have a logical reason for why you are doing them.
5. When you get to the end of the day, take five minutes to evaluate what you did and compare it to what you planned to do.

If you do this, which is not exactly nuclear physics, you can be sure you will be heading towards your goals and not away from them.

Anything else and you might as well jump on the couch with the dog, and watch the Disney Channel, for all the benefit you'll get.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - 2nd 28 day | Day 18

As I watch a beautiful cherry red sun set over the valley from my patio, it occurs to me how lucky I am. I have come to the end of one journey and I begin another. Stronger, more resilient, tougher, with greater faith and no real downside.

Yes I have limited neck and shoulder movement, so what. I really believe that I have gained a lot more than I have lost out of this experience.

For one, out of my accident I met an amazing human being, Carlos De Jesus. The power of communication over the internet has negated the actual distance between us and has allowed us to interchange ideas, explore life values and principles.

I have a deep respect for this quietly dignified man who has achieved so much in his lifetime without any brash trumpet blowing, a rare quality in these modern times.

This powerhouse is the genuine article. An unconditional giver who lives life with joy and passion and respect.

One day soon, in perfect health, because of him, it will be my great pleasure to stand before him, shake him by the hand and say "Sir, I salute you."

http://www.carlosdejesustotalfitness.com/

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - 2nd 28 day | Day 17

Spent yesterday moving back to my own place. Although my girl has looked after me beautifully it is extremely liberating to have the freedom I have in my own place. I just feel like.....I'm home.

First day back at work today. Trained 4 clients this morning. Had to do things differently. More explaining and less doing. I'll get it after a while.

Everybody in my gym was surprised to see me looking so well. Maybe they expected a walking corpse.

Right now I'm pretty whacked so I'm going to chill until this afternoon when I'll look after another 4 clients.

All in all I'm feeling great though.

See you tomorrow.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - 2nd 28 day | Day 15

"Thought it might be a refreshing change to show the front of my head and that I do still smile"

Facing the giants.....a great movie I watched this morning at 2am when I couldn't sleep.

Theme was..Football movie with the underdogs beating "The Giants". It got me thinking about my own life.

A lot of what I write about is introspective, me talking to me, although it doesn't look or seem that way. This post is no different.

Facing my own giants is something I think about all the time. One of them is procrastination. Another is procrastination. A third is procrastination.

I have fought this giant the whole of my life and it's a battle that I contain but know that I can never win. It's something that is waiting to smack you on the back of the head every time you look away.

That's the thing I've learned about bad habits. They never go away entirely they are just wating for a temporary lapse in focus before they strike.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not giving weakness or bad habit, any power I'm just saying that WE sometimes allow them into our lives by the way we behave and before we know it...bang.

We HAVE to keep affirming positives, and keep fighting the good fight. On a daily basis we have to 'do' what has to be done and not 'say' we will do what has to be done. Big difference.

The more we oppose 'the giants' the easier it gets and it does get easier, but dropping your guard is even easier so don't let that become an option..

Keep on fighting every day, and your soul will get sronger your spirit will soar

and if you look hard enough you might just see the smiling face of God and feel his hand on your back giving you an encouraging nudge.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - 2nd 28 day | Day 14

pre op (hole)

Post op (hole gone)...well sorta

......so Mark, the supercool young 'nip'n tuck' dude says to me "Here's how it's going to work.
Option 1. Straight pulling together of the hole, stitch it up, job done.

Option 2. Cut the back of your scalp to allow some room to move and then sew up a flap and close the hole, job done.

Option 3. Skin graft. Piece off the inside of your thigh stitch it over the hole nip'n tuck, job done.

" My reply, "Mark, I do not want a skin graft."

He gave me his quote and that meant more surgery since I had fallen down on the back of my head when I saw how much it was.. this made it worse. "Don't worry" he says "I already factored in extra money for the fall, this happens all the time"............... Ya think. :-)

Right, now that's out of the way I got booked into the hotel...ugh, hospital and settled back to wait.

Couple of hours later, I was wheeled up to surgery where I was given some pre med which knocked me out like a light before I even went into theatre.

Two hours after that I was back in the ward feeling very groggy and super thirsty from the Intubation pipes. (Those things they stick down your throat to help you breath. They do it all the time in ER)

My old friend Mr Morphine helped to get rid of the pain completely and off I went to sleep.

Actually it wasn't a bad experience, I made some new friends, wandered around the wards offering soothing words of encouragement to other inmates.

When I was checking out an oriental couple came to ask me for directions in Japanese and I couldn't understand why until I looked in the mirrow and saw that the skin at the back of my head was too tight and I had a kind of sideway's face lift. Tight eyes and all. ;-) . Minority group watchdogs, take a valium.

Couple of days in hospital is actually good for introspection and I found myself thanking God once again for the fact that I was mobile, happy and healthy.

Good job Doc.

Thank you for all your prayers and good wishes I appreciate all of them and...they worked.

My brace is finally off and I have sprinted over the last hurdle. I'm done.

One week of no exercise and then I'm back....Can't wait coach.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - 2nd 28 day | Day 10

Returned from my visit with the plastic surgeon. Joint decision made...I'm going back in wednesday for more surgery. Be gone a couple days and then I'll be just fine. Last step will be losing the brace and then I'm done.

I'll miss blogging for a few days but I'll be back with my 'nip'n tuck' story.

Take care while I'm gone.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - 2nd 28 day | Day 9

Sunday today. We are having a barbeque so today's post is going to be.....oops, hang on. Ok am back and I have to go and peel potato's so see ya tomorrow.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - 2nd 28 day | Day 8

ADAM WATERS a tribute.

As I have said before, whilst out walking I often start a conversation with myself about something that has popped into my head, current affairs, world peace, greenhouse gases, oil prices and other trivial issues, and of course personalities. God being one of those and I am not being disrespectful when I say that because I certainly don't think of him as a personality, but then of course when I think about the Father I end up having a conversation with Him instead of just thinking of Him. Sound confusing, no worries, today it's about a personality. Someone who has single handedly changed the face of health and fitness in a multitude of people's lives. Who on earth am I talking about.

ADAM WATERS.

Today is a tribute to a shining light in the fitness business, a beacon of hope if you will. In fact if you've been having difficulty keeping track of your health and fitness program in a turbulent sea of junk food and suspect training programmes, you would be wise to hope that the light shining afar was the lighthouse beacon being operated by Adam Waters.

I've been in this business a while and I've seen a lot of snake oil salesman but the one man who has consistently been promoting and selling 'accountability' and not taking a dime for it is Adam Waters.

Now you can have the best program in the world in addition to the most sophisticated eating plan imaginable, unless you are accountable to someone, or many people, chances are, you are going to bomb.

No man is an island and we were never made to operate alone. I mean God even gave Adam (the original) a partner right.

Over the years Adam has been absolutely consistent through trials of his own and has come through shining. He had the courage to put himself out there in the beginning and test the product so to speak. It worked.

The man is now at a point where he has products to take to market and buy them you should...WHY? Because it's not often you find someone who has publicly road tested his product over years and what does that mean.

Adam Waters has INTEGRITY, and folks....you just don't walk in and buy that off the shelf at your local seven eleven on special.

Adam, my friend, I salute you.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - 2nd 28 day | Day 7

Very busy day today, got up early, checked mail, did some stuff around the house, went to the gym to train, then to the store for some supplies...sounds like I'm a bear hunter in Alaska stocking up for the winter.

Phoned Madiba, that's Nelson Mandela to you, to wish him a very happy 90th birthday. I'm kidding, not about the birthday but the phone call..I wish I could phone him. I mean c'mon 90 years old.

Isn't it amazing to think that one of the most influential statesmen in history spent 28 years of his life in prison on a remote island before anybody really took any notice of him.

He then comes out of prison and in a very short space of time becomes President of a large country. His work managed to create a role model for democracy. The rainbow Nation.

Now what has this got to do with you. EVERYTHING.

If you don't believe that consistency to purpose and daily belief in a long term goal can work, read this post again.

It took the man more than the 28 years but he never gave up, never.

What a giant.

Madiba, I salute you, happy birthday Sir.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - 2nd 28 day | Day 6

Another goal smashed.....walked 10kms today....and I feel just fine.
It's a magnificent winter's morning here in beautiful sunny South Africa, the birds are chirping....Oh no sorry that's the ringing in my ears. I noticed this morning whilst on my sojurn around the countryside that I have a permanent ringing in my ears...doesn't bother me, it's just there. Wonder if it's always been there or if it's there since my accident. I also have...you're going to love this one...a click in my head when I start walking. I mean it's a definate click every alternate step....no really..I wonder if it's all the harware in my head aligning itself for the walk, coz it goes away when I'm warmed up. I move my brace around, check my clothing, dude I'm telling you it's in my head. Weird.

Must chat to Carl my nuero, about that.

So, my head is in rugby mode for saturday, The Springboks Vs the Wallabies, another giant game coming and of course The Open golf championship in England....and you know I love golf. Better start helping more around the house if I want to watch all that. C'mon sports fans, you know what I'm talking about.

Reminds me of a business rule I learned a very long time ago. "For me to get what I want, I need to give the other person what they want." Simple, win,win.

Works every time.

Hope your life is working for you...if it isn't, take a journal and start writing...write every day...a page or two is all....and you'll soon figure it out.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - 2nd 28 day | Day 5

My hand is poised above the paper. The pen within it quivers, a blob of bright blue ink gets ready to drip, unless I apply the pen to the paper and write something.

Got it, I'll write a poem. Inspired by Yeats, and Keats, Browning and Gehrig...oh no sorry he was a baseball player wasn't he, albeit with a tragic story.

Ah yes, Lou Gehrig and "The Babe", hero's of a bygone era, role models for thousands of american kids. Well there was no TIVO in those days what did we know from Gehrig and Ruth, or even baseball for that matter. Here in Africa we played rugby and cricket, which by the way has been called "baseball on valium".

The role models these days are Barry Bonds, the monsters from WWF, giant bodybuilders like multi Mr Olympia Ronnie Coleman, and those incredible athletes who spend three weeks at 100% riding 3500kms in the Tour de France.

Isn't it a shame though that that the kids of today revere those who have attained glory through illegal means, drugs if you will. Isn't it sad that major athletes of today pay over a major part of their earnings to their chemist.

The summer Olympic Games are around the corner and billions of people will be passionately watching their hero compete for glory only to have their adoration shattered when this or that superstar tests positive for Anabolic Steroids and is ordered to return his medal.

It's a shame to think that some of those kids themselves will succumb to the lure of the filthy "so called elixer of life", all in the name of narcissism.

Play your part and be a role model to your own children, for isn't it so much better to stand straight and tall, lean and strong one year from now, looking into the mirror, and be able to say. "I'm a natural."

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - 2nd 28 day | Day 5

What is it that fascinates us about leaness in the human form? Who was the first person or group of people to decided that lean and muscular was the way to go?

How come we are not all striving to be 130kgs and 53% bodyfat?

Can you imagine this scenario:
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen and a warm welcome to the 2009 european summer collection, we are going to show you the very latest in beautiful swim wear for your european summer holiday....as you can see fashionable swim wear gets smaller each year and this year is no different." Lights start flashing, music starts thumping, and the ramp floor starts bouncing...."Ladies and Gentleman our fist model in a stunning skin tight ultra small bikini, Naomi Crumble." An audible sigh of admiration from the very experienced audience as Naomi lumbers onto the stage looking like a beached whale. "Oh my goodness, exclaims an afficionado in the front row, She's put on at least another 15 kilograms from last year, oh my, she's absolutely exquisite". Smiling Naomi turns and lumbers off stage as the italion supermodel Fabio Luvafood, is smashing the last of a chocolate eclair into his face before he rolls slowly onto the ramp.

A blond socialite 2nd row left almost falls off her seat with delight...."Ohhh Fabio, ohh, my fat fat Fabio", she sighs. Two others VIP guests turn to each other and simoultaneously gasp.."Is, Is, Is, he actually wearing a costume at all." His fleshy skirt completely covered his nether regions making it impossible to see if he had remembered to put on his Karl Largerfelt original bathing suit whilst stuffing the last of the cream chocolate mix into his mouth.

"Oh I so love these shows" say two VIP's to each other, "I just love the way the models just get fatter and fatter each year...how exquisite. By the way, it's my turn for lunch, there's a fabulous new Kentucky Fried chicken just off the strip, I had to book 3 months ago for a table. They have an all you can eat special. C'mon let's hurry".

Just a tongue in cheek, lighthearted look at the way we see bodies...others and our own and imagining, just for today, how it would be if things were different.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - 2nd 28 day | Day 4

How long have you been saying. "I am sick of the way I look and feel and on monday I'm going to do something about it". How many times have you started on monday only to binge on wednesday evening and say " Monday, I'll start again on monday." Maybe all of us have at some stage.

Well I'm sorry I do NOT have the solution but you do.

This seems totally out of left field and I have no idea where the idea came from but what about this. It goes against everything I have ever learned about goal setting but as I sit here thinking about it as I write, it may just work.

We are told to set a long term meaningful goal and then take daily action steps, but the fact is that's tough to do when your goal is bigger than Mount Everest.

So what about this....a goal is a goal and anybody can do something for just one day. Set a goal "just for today". Whatever it is. To train with intensity, to eat 100% clean and so on.

When you've got through today, do the same thing tomorrow. Work it properly and before you know it a month will have passed and you will have achieved great things.

Maybe this sounds crazy and maybe it doesn't but if it helps one person to get on and stay on track I'm thrilled.

Give it a try...can't hurt.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - 2nd 28 day | Day 3

My team won at Duneden, New Zealand for the first time in 100 years and Larry made the point " That's patience"

Now..that's a very astute observation from Larry who commented on my blog post yesterday.

I read a saying some time ago which has stood me in good stead at times when I want to go too fast. 'You can't push the river'

In a world where we have fast food and instant gratification for just about everything the word patience has been relegated to a dusty tome in the scruffy archives of an old library somewhere.

We need to bring the word back into fashion because "we cannot live without it" and if you don't believe me try getting into a department store on "MEGA END OF YEAR SALE, EVERYTHING HALF PRICE, ONE DAY ONLY" whilst the doors are still locked and you are behind 50 other people queuing for the same reason as you without a whole lotta patience.

Patience is needed in everything we do. The art of a business deal is built on patience. Catching trout on a sunny saturday afternoon in waders in the middle of a lazily drifting trout brook, is built on patience, and winning an important rugby game is built on patience.

In sport, it's a guarantee that you'll get no where if you don't have patience. Building muscle takes patience. There is a popular misconception that you can build big muscle in a very short time...not true, it's extremely difficult to build muscle, unless you're a beginner, and any honest 'natural' body builder will tell you that.

Patience is what is needed to follow any kind of fitness routine through to success. Day by day perserverance, long term, dedication to purpose, daily action steps, patience to get through the down times, and there will be.

One thing I know for sure, even though we don't like it, 'winners are patient, guaranteed'.

Set your health goals, believe that you will attain them, building your action steps daily and have patience.

YOU WILL GET THERE.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - 2nd 28 day | Day 2

I'm over the moon

My rugby team The Sprinkboks just beat the All Blacks in their own back yard. Beat them by 2 points in Duneden for the first time in 100 years.

Although we are the world champions we did not play the all blacks at the world cup and they are the number 1 ranked team in the world. Well today was special and I'm just jumping for joy.

Whooooooooo Hoooooooooooo

Ahem! onto real stuff. Had a good training session today in the gym after 5 minute bike and a good stretch. Feeling better every time.
Thanks Coach.

Have a wonderful weekend, it's a choice.

THE CRUSADES | dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - 2nd 28 day shred | Day 1

Just been to the plastic surgeon. He seems to think that the hole in the back of my head is healing just fine and won't need plastic surgery. 2nd opinion next week

Now...NEW 28 day goals

1. 6 clean meals per day + 8 glasses of water 6 days per week
2. 3 walks per week building up to 20kms per week.
3. 3 weight training sessions per week building up to 3 sets per bodypart or 100% compliance with my coach.
4. Back to training clients in my own gym by end July.
5. Buy a new car with park distance control (my limited mobility is a problem)
6. Move back to my own house and start taking care of my self. I think my girl has had enough.
7. Blog every day.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - Day 28

Day 28 of my 28 day Shred (well my version of it )

What did I want to achieve?

28 days ago I was barely out of hospital. I had set a goal to walk 3.5kms twice a week and start doing freestanding squats and calf raises. 4 days of exercise, such as it was then.

What did I achieve?

1. I am walking 15kms in three different sesssions per week.
2. I follow an extensive flexibility/stretching/core strengthening routine daily.
3. I am doing a full body weight training routine in the gym 3 times per week.
4. I am off ALL medication which included antibiotics, painkillers, anti-inflamatries, anti-dpressants, sleeping pills and anti-coagulants.
5. My emotional mindset is extremely positive
6. Physically, I'm feeling fantastic, mobility limitations not withstanding.

I think I can be pretty happy with where I am.

Where will I be in another 28 days.

I'll post new goals in my post The Crusades shred 2 day 1 tomorrow

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - day 27

The Comeback Begins

It started early morning. Where the heck is my gym card? Do I have a sweat towel (glow towel for the girls) handy. Where's my water bottle?

I mean 2 months out of the gym and I've lost the plot. Finally with everything I need carrried out to the car off I trundle to the Gym. Yes I drove. Well it's only up the road...a back road. Oh get over it, so I drove.

Approached the door, walked in and was bombarded with house music, people walking in different directions, trainers huddled with their clients, sharing intimate secrets. It was a bit of a culture shock but I was brought back to the present when Bruce, a trainer said to me "Sheesh dude I didn't recognise you you've lost so much weight. What happened? Wow, are you sure you should be here. Bro go slow, right?"

Moving swiftly to the stationary bikes to eliminate further verbal "warm ups" I jumped on for a 5 minute warm up. Gave me a chance to get my bearings. I looked around. Some of the usual suspects on the bikes, munching on a carrot and bran muffins and reading O magazine. They come to an interesting part in the article about 'tighten up your waist and your finances'
and they....stop. At some stage they realise this, have a quick look around feeling self conscious and start pedalling madly again, until the next rivetting article. I enjoyed my 5 minutes and headed for the stretching area.

Full body stretch complete and to 'The weight room'. The area where the big boys play. Oh yeah. The guys who load up the bar with agazillion weights and do half a squat whilst the spotter behind him screams ' It all yours dude, all yours'
Then they leave all the weight for some poor sucker to unload.

I head to the bench. 'This is what I'm talking about.' I load the the olympic bar with..........nothing. that's it nada, nothing.

I get underneath the bar and close my eyes. 'Thank you God that I'm here and able to do this . Thank you'.

I call a spotter...no I'm kidding...and unrack the bar. Boy it felt strange. My chest was pretty tight as were my shoulders but I did a set of 12 with increasingly good form after the first one or two jerky reps. Felt great.

Moving around the gym, lat pulldowns, tricep push downs, bicep curls, shoulder press, I soaked in the atmosphere doing one set of each slowly, feeling my way.

People looked at the Darth Vader collar and I could see wonder in their eyes. They didn't ask the question and I didn't volunteer. This was my time.

I left the gym and walked into bright sunshine....I'm BACK.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - Day 26

Today is a milestone for me.

Although I have been walking and doing a flexibility routine daily, and don't get me wrong, that has been a valuable rung on the ladder, to day is the day that what I have been doing has prepared me for.

WEIGHT TRAINING

My neurosurgeon...that's right Carl...has given me the go ahead, my coach, trainer, friend, across the pond in the USA, has given me my program and it is with exitement and anticipation and no trepidation whatsoever that I trip along to the gym like a young girl skipping out to pick strawberries with nary a care in the world.....well, not quite but you know what I mean.

I will be doing one set of each body part with girly weights....take a valium all you feminists.... and I can't weight, sorry wait.

The music as you walk in the door, the vibe inside the weight room, lying on the bench with that wonderful feeling of anticipation as I put my hands on the steel and just take in that old familiar feeling. I know that my eyes will fill with tears as I quietly thank God that I'm still able to do this.

Visualise, take the weight off the rack hold it above my chest for a few seconds, lower it it till it touches my chest and lift it again with a 3/3 cadence.

I'm Back.

Shouldn't YOU be too.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - Day 25

What did the neurosurgeon say?

The hole in the back of my head, which by the way will never grow hair again hmmm, maybe a shredders Tattoo!!!, is healing beautifully but will never cover with strong enough skin.

This means a skin graft of nice thick strong skin or a "pull" from both sides of the wound which will cover it with strong healthy skin.

One way or another after more surgery...by next week I'm done.

Sometimes I can be a real "wally" and it's funny how pain can sometimes manage to stop us from looking completely stupid.

My lady had a meeting whilst I was with the Doctor and I would have had to wait a while for her to collect me. Soooo, I decided the walk home wouldn't be a bad thing and I set off for home.

Only problem is it's about 25kms (15miles). Now I'm an ex triathlete and have run many marathons and ultra marathons so this was, in my mind, going to be a breeze.

After about 8kms I started realising this wasn't such fun and then that little voice said quietly "hey, aren't you recovering from double major surgery." Oh gee, yes I forgot.

At around that time I was saved...by the pain. I was wearing slip on mocasin type shoes which were never for Nike's distribution plan as a running shoe.

So, I had, whilst meditating along the way managed to acquire two beaut blisters on the back of each foot.

Now it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that if I brought my VERY stubborn streak into play and continued to walk, sorry... limp, I might not be walking anywhere for a while after another 15kms with blisters, that were already hurting.

I stopped, took a deep breath, calmed myself down, meditated for half an hour to get into the right frame of mind, said a couple dozen Ommmms with my thumb and forefinger circled neatly round to touch each other, took another deep breath and quickly before I changed my mind....phoned my girl and said. "OK, I'm done, please collect me."

"Sure" she said and before I knew it I was sitting on the front porch overlooking the valley drinking a mint julip.. Actually it was a protein shake and an orange.

My feet are fine and will be good to go for tomorrow's walk...with running shoes this time.

Oh...By the way....how far are you going tomorrow.

And...from the couch to the fridge 6 times, unfortunately does NOT count. Even if you were wearing Nike's.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - Day 24

Life is about coincidences! No it's not.

Conditioning is a funny thing, it causes us, when we see or experience something incredible to exclaim "wow, how amazing is that." I still do it and then catch myself and remember that it's not amazing at all, it's simply serindipitous.

When our Creator combines with the universe and the laws of physics, things happen that seen incredible. Actually we should EXPECT these things to happen. After all we put these things into play even if we don't realise it.

Personally, I am on a journey which excites me beyond belief. Through no accident, I have connected with someone who is guiding me through my rehabilitation after my accident, "from rock bottom to mountain top and beyond" so to speak. (all will be revealed in due course, but it's hugely exciting)

I am planning a series of Health and Fitness seminars in South Africa in our summer and I really feel that my relationship with this person will impact those seminars. Now this is no accident....no, wow how amazing is that... this is me, manifesting, through our Creator, firstly the best person for me to work with, and secondly the reciprocation and friendship that comes out of that. One hand washes the other, so to speak.

This is how life works.. and...a positive goal, housed in integrity, with belief in manifestation, a huge dollop of faith, large self belief and a powerfully positive attitude, you will ALWAYS cross the finish line your journey complete, with arms outstretched and the outcome magnificently achieved.

Go get yours, whatever IT is, c'mon do it now. ...Off the couch, that's for the dog.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - Day 23

I believe in God....now before you roll your eyes and head your mouse in the direction of something more interesting like " lightbulbsRus.com" this is NOT a religious dissertation and you might actually find an AHA moment or two right here.

Because I believe in God I believe, like gazillions of others in statements like
"As a man thinketh in his heart so is he". There are many references to the fact that God has given us a whole lot of neat stuff without us even asking for it. Stuff like "A Spirit of Power, Love and a Sound Mind." WOW that's huge. He has also given us well, kinda whatever we want, UP FRONT.

Now if you look at universal laws contained in the realities of Quantum Physics, (and no this is not new agey.) you will find that this all works together.

Gravity is gravity...whether the Queen or I drop an apple, the thing is going to fall to the ground. The law of reciprocation is the same and so is the fact that you can have, be, or do, whatever you want....I mean WHATEVER.

NOW, here is the great bit. YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN GIVEN WHATEVER YOU WANT. All you have to do is decide what IT is and accept that you ALREADY have it and start running towards it.

Opportunities start apprearing in front of you. People start bumping into you saying "Oh yeah I can help you with that." Coincidence is not coincidence it is just God....or the universe, if you so choose, conspiring to make you into whatever it is that you have manifested.

Afirmations whilst unrealistic and ridiculous sounding now become reality sooner than you think.

Don't pooh pooh it, don't think about it, just accept that it's true and give it a fair trial. YOU WILL BE AMAZED.

One of my affirmations right now is "I AM SUPERFIT." Now, I've just broken my neck and I'm probably less fit than anyone reading this but I can promise you this. That affirmation will play a big part in my recovery and journey to superhealth and by December of 2008 I WILL BE SUPERFIT.

WHERE WILL YOU BE?

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - Day 22

4th July - INDEPENDENCE DAY

To all my American readers, Happy holiday, enjoy whatever it is that you have planned for today.

Sometime today, stop for a second and think about what it means. America declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Why? because America wanted to be responsible for its own future. To be seperated from the nation it felt was holding them back.

Why don't you today, apply that to your own life. Make a commitment to seperate from people that hold you back. Dream Stealers, nay sayers, average people who are not content with their lot but don't have the courage to forge ahead and make a new way for themselves.

Don't let them drag you down. Perhaps, rather pull them up....or let them go.

Determine, on this historic day, to forge a NEW way for yourself. A way filled with HOPE, JOY, LOVE, DETERMINATION, SPIRIT, good old fashioned GUTS, and a damned good PLAN.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - Day 21

South Africa is a magnificent country, full of hope and promise, the best scenery on the planet and extraordinary people.

Our Rainbow Nation which only became a democracy in '94 with a black man as president, Nelson Mandela, is a model for democratic change.

Yes we have crime, yes we have corruption, yes we have racism, yes we have inflation but beyond that we have OPPORTUNITY.

The opportunity to become the greatest nation on the planet. By definition I'm not talking about China's plan for greatness, which is a 1000 year plan for global financial domination.

I'm talking about, no violence, racial integration, harmony between us all and a love for each other born out of a love for our nation. Pride in what we have and who we are.

When our collective consciousness fully embraces a giving, sharing, loving mentality instead of constant power struggles, we will be adults and will have left childhood behind.

What can we as individuals do to support my dream...a unified, happy, successful nation, a model for global living?

WE CAN GET OFF THE COUCH. We can get fit enough to start doing things for others. When health and fitness enters our consciousness we walk taller, we are more confident, we are more assertive, we find the courage to change our miserable existance and do what it is we were MEANT to do.

Sometimes when it rains, that soft gentle quiet rain it almost seems to me that our magnificent creator, in whose likeness we are made, is shedding tears of desperate disapointment for the way we live.

OBESITY is no longer the fat guy next door. It is a disease which threatens our beautiful country and the planet.

Reduce your personal global footprint by not smashing so much junk into your face and your carbon emissions will be a lot more friendly to your neighbour, our beautiful South Africa and the planet.

START AN EXERCISE AND NUTRITION PROGRAM TODAY AND VERBALLY COMMIT TO SOMEONE WHAT IT IS.

I HAVE.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - Day 20

HOPE starts us - DOING everyday, gets us there.

It hit me, like a sandbank upside my head, LOL, this morning, reading Meredith's blog, fabulously full of hope, exitement, determination and courage. http://roadmaptosuccess.wordpress.com/

BANG, that's where it all starts. Hope. Without hope, what's the point. Hope springs eternal and that is what get's us to start anything. Once hope has got us to a point where we believe, the doing, everyday, gets us there.

When things get tough and we want to quit, the hope of what we started filters back into our consciousness and wafts around like opium from a Hookah pipe sucking us in, reminding us why we started.

And if we recognise it for what it is and hold onto it, we DO, the next day and the next until we complete our journey. Hope is no longer hope, hope has become reality.

Hope is the journey on which we build TRUTH, Hope is the building block from which we leap higher onto a larger block until one day...if we have recorded our victories, we look back and down, and with a sharp intake of breath we realise how far we have come, victorious.

All victory is birthed in hope, a magnificent word, to which we cling for dear life when we are about to fall into our own personal chasm.

HOPE, Keep this word close and use it wisely, for it surely is our future.

THE CRUSADES - by dougal macdonald Chief Evangalist - Day 19

My "Prison Break" audition picture

God gave us a brain....and I think he'd like us to use it.

I believe that creative thinking is nothing more than believing that you are a creative thinker and then using your brain to create stuff. I am no Michaelangelo but I have proven my theory many times during the course of my tenure on this planet.....on myself... and yes I do know about all this left brain right brain stuff.

So what has this to do with health and fitness. Well I read an article recently, written by a top international trainer who made a very bold statement. "My perfect gym" he stated "would be a room with an automobile in it."

To make this even more convoluted, when people hear that I'm a fitnessprofessional, they very often, offer, unsolicited, the comment "Oh I hate gyms and I don't have any equipment, so I can't train."

REALLY....OK, this is where the automobile and the creative thinking comes in.

If you had a room, admittedly with a bit of length, containing a small auto you could build a super solid routine with any amount of compound exercises. Pushes, pulls, lifts, squats, stretches. Even a driveway and your auto would do.

Ok, what else am I talking about? When I was walking this morning....and by the way, I did a personal best for my 3+km route 26.50, I saw a lady and her daughter walking up the hill in front of me. By way of a quick explanation a large majority of our population in South Africa have no access to their own transport and they mostly live some distance from the nearest taxi route. In order to get to that route, they walk.

Mother and daughter were obviously going somewhere for some time since they were both carrying luggage. The interesting part was the fact that they would walk, stop and down luggage rest and then repeat the process. No thought, just do, that's just how it works here.

At first glance this seems fairly cruel and an archaic way to travel, but actually the up side of this is that these folk are super healthy. Getting from one point to the next is AN EXERCISE ROUTINE, and they do it EVERY DAY.

That is why the "have not's" in South Africa are a very healthy bunch. They either walk or ride bicycles and generally are carrying something with them.

When they get to the taxi they are subjected to the most hair raising and suicidal ride on the planet. One hundred and plenty kms per hour through rush hour traffic weaving to and fro is not a pleasant experience, but the up side is that for the duration of the ride their heart rate is up around 90% of max which means they get a solid Hiit cardio workout eavery day without leaving their seat.

I remember some years ago seeing before and after transformation pictures of a woman in a remote area of South Africa. She had no access to a gym so she made her own set of barbells by securing empty 2ltr plastic soda bottles onto each end of a broomstick and filling them with water. By varying the amount of water she had a whole set with varying weights. That's CREATIVE. BTW her transformation was unbelievable.

The point of all this is that you do not need a designer gym with fancy schmancy nachines that shape your abs whilst serving a skinny, latte without wings and turning the pages of cosmo for you at the same time.

All you need is to use that brain God gave you, get creative and go workout.

GO TELL SOMEONE, GO TELL LOT'S OF PEOPLE.