Good things, bad things and just...things

Today is Tuesday. In one week, I begin the BFL challenge. And I'm still sick. I've missed two days of work this week and I might be going for three. I saw my doctor yesterday. She put me on some antibiotics, just in case this bug is partly bacterial. She gave me some horse pills that apparently have the punch of a bottle of robitussin. She tells me I will be up and running in time to start my challenge.

I told her about Body for Life and she said it was a good program. Then she asked if I was aware of Bill Phillips involvement with steroids. She suggested that I read up on that to make a more informed decision about the program. So, when I got home, I punched up a few searches and found a lot of info. I finally settled in with an article from Outside Magazine that profiled Bill in a somewhat negative light, but told me a lot about what I wanted to know. And you know what? It doesn't change my plans at all. I don't really care if Bill is in this for the money, although it seems unlikely. I don't really care if he's made some mistakes. And I don't care if I don't end up looking like the people on the cover of the book. And I don't care if some writer from Outside magazine doesn't get what all the hype is about. If not every aspect of Bill Phillips' life is squeaky clean, it doesn't change the fact that this is a good balanced program. And I refuse to apologize for the fact that I want to like what I see when I look in the mirror.

By coincidence, I noticed the April edition of Outside magazine on the newstand recently (and when I say "noticed", I actually mean it stopped me in my tracks). It features rock climber Sara Carlson on the cover. She's very pretty, has long blonde hair, a very shapely body, and she's not wearing a stitch of clothing. As a photographer, I have to say it's a beautiful shot and I have no objection to displaying the female form for artistic purposes. I just wanted to point out the mild hypocrisy of poking fun at Body for Lifers and our before-and-after pictures, then putting some heavenly body on the cover to sell more magazines. Of course, maybe that was just a one time thing. Nope, the March edition features surfer Sonya Balmores on the cover with her athletic bod displayed in skimpy bikini. I might add, again as a photographer, that the picture of Sonya uses a composition of figure and background that tends to draw your eye to certain part of her anatomy, and it isn't her face. Once again, I don't object except for the hypocrisy. I bet if they could get Kelly Adair on the cover, they would.

Anyway, while surfing for further info, I found John Hussman's page (http://www.hussman.org/fitness/) and, in particular, his "Body for Life Support Page". He has so much info that it was almost like reading another book, but he filled in a lot of gaps for me and answered some of my major questions. I had so much research to do this week and John's page probably cut it by two thirds. I've already decided to incorporate some of John's tweaks to my aerobic workouts. I'm also considering some limited use of creatine in my strength program. Cheryl and I are going to start mapping out the diet tomorrow. I still have a lot to do (I'm about halfway through setting up a home gym, I have supplements to buy, etc.), but I'm feeling good about getting everything ready by Tuesday. Now, I just need to get well.