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40 Before 40 October Update

My birthday is on the 8th of January, so I’ll be posting my 40 Before 40 updates on the 8th of each month. Here’s the October update:

AHHHHH! I only have three more months until I’m 40! The good news is that I’m putting more energy into accomplishing my remaining goals than I am on turning 40.

I’m having to shift a few things around now, and likely will do even more as the year draws to a close. Here’s the update:

For the original list and more info about each item, go to WoosleyCoaching.com/40

Newly Completed

  • 25) Ride a Century (100 mile single bike event)

    • September 21st – Victory! I rode 103 miles in a single day to complete my first Century ride! Full details at my JDRF Nashville Ride Report post.

    JDRF Victory!
    Victory! More than 100 miles completed for JDRF!
    Thanks to all who supported and encouraged me throughout the event! And donations are still being accepted until 9/20 by clicking here.

    Completed

    • 3) Teach Ian to ride a bike

      • September 8th – Finally! Today after several marathons of Minecraft, I got the boy to go outside and attempt once again to ride his bike. I pumped up his very flat tires, gave him my old helmet (he has a large cranium), and we set off for the grass field across from the house. After a successful first ride and spectacular crash–he jumped up and declared himself okay–we continued a few practice runs before getting on the street. It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t perfect, but he did manage to complete a loop around our cul-de-sac. He’ll need a lot of practice before we can cruise the neighborhood together, but at least he’s pedaling now!

    • 2) Father/Son Event

      • July 5th – Our planned father-son trip to Missouri to visit my parents and grandparents fell through, so we had to find something else to do over the holiday weekend. Since the trip is re-scheduled for a few weeks from now, we decided keep it simple and go see Man of Steel and pig out on sushi (and we did, including some with Pop Rocks on it). It was a great guys-only day with my little buddy!

    • 14) Publish first book

      • June 13th – That was the day I submitted the final version to the printer. What an amazing and strange moment…almost exactly three years since I first outlined the book, it was finished. Get your copy of Conquering the Entrepreneur’s Kryptonite: Simple Strategic Planning for You and Your Business today at Amazon.com and check out the book website, ConquerYourKryptonite.com.

    • 36) Wildcard #1: Attempt a Half Marathon

      • May 19th – I really wanted to do a full blog post just about the half marathon (I probably will soon), but I let the book take priority. But lets focus on the goal, and the key word is “attempt” so I completed the goal at the start of the race. Then I conquered the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon in just over two hours and forty minutes. I may not be fast, but I beat my 2:45:00 bonus goal!

      After the Half Marathon
      Jessica Brown, Jody Berkey, Steve Berkey and me after the race

    • 18) Finish office

      • May 12th – The office is done! In a frenzied weekend, I finished all of the painting, hanging blinds and curtains, and moved in the basic furniture (including some of the goodies I got at IKEA!). There are still some finishing touches to make in terms of decorating and organizing, but the office is functional and I love working in my own space. It was perfect for finishing up the book.My Home Office

    • 13) Visit Congress or AL Legislature

      • April 24th – It took a few months of rescheduling but I finally got to Montgomery! It was quite an experience seeing how government works (or doesn’t, depending on the day and the topic). Such an honor to represent my city and school system, as well as all of the public school systems in Alabama. Met with several legislators and was even recognized from the floor of the House!

    • 26) Complete first 5K race

      • March 9th – The Gator Hustle 5K in 33:36 minutes.

    • 32) Complete a fast

      • March 30th – No soft drinks for 40 days before Easter.

    Making Meaningful Progress

    • 1) Daddy/Daughter Getaway

      • No change. Sadly with summer coming to a close, this item may have to be adapted. I travel a lot but do my best to spend time with the kids. This is about having specific time with my daughter (now a teenager…how did that happen?). Looking at a Saturday adventure of some kind.

    • 4) Get gloves and play catch with Anna and Ian

      • No change. This summer has been hot and busy. Autumn is a much more friendly time for baseball, right?

    • 7) Start recycling

      • No change. Good intentions gone bad. Need to clean up the overflowing bins in the garage and re-kickstart this one.

    • 9) Visit a museum or attend a symphony/play/opera

      • No change. Two words: Alice Cooper. I’m going to call this a cultural event and let it count. Plus it makes my wife happy and will be a ton of fun! Just have to wait until November.

    • 11) Read the entire Bible

      • UPDATE: I’m now in the midst of Ezekiel, on page 910 of the 1339 pages in my Bible. That’s 69% completed. I’m still a bit behind, but looking forward some smaller books and getting into the New Testament.

    • 12) 12 Dates with My Wife

      • UPDATE: Enjoyed a date the night before our 17th Anniversary. Only five more to go…but I’d love to have 50 more before the year ends!

    • 15) Produce 10 products (ebooks, audio programs, etc.)

      • UPDATE: Writing a book was number one and still an amazing feat. The Kindle version was number two. (Both are available on Amazon.com). Now there is the third…the audiobook! It is available on Amazon, iTunes, and Audible! And I have to say, it’s really cool to see those pages with my name and book on them!

    • 16) Conduct group coaching course

      • NEW: Planning to initiate a course in November to help people get ready for 2014…details coming soon!

    • 17) Conduct first STRATOP

      • NEW: In November I’m off to Colorado for my first STRATOP! I’ll be facilitating for a dear friend to help her launch a new business and service that has the potential to help a lot of people. I’m very excited for her and honored to be a part of her process!

    • 21) Consistently wake up between 5-6 am

      • UPDATE: Six days in the past month before 6 am. I need a new strategy. I just don’t like mornings.

    • 22) Teach a community class (other than FPU)

      • NEW: I’ve had initial discussions with two organizations about conducting a Conquer Your Kryptonite seminar designed around my book. I’m hopeful that I’ll conduct my first seminar in November!

    • 23) Join/Start Local Mastermind/Networking Group

      • NEW: A friend and I have had rough conversations about starting a local mastermind group. It’s too early to say if it will happen, but at least this one is starting to take shape.

    • 24) Make 100 blog posts

      • UPDATE: This post makes 30 since the beginning of the year, and a big improvement. My Project Rules series is helping and I have a few other ideas that will help me produce more consistent posts. I may not hit 100, but it’ll be a lot better than the trend from earlier in the year.

    • 27) Drive a race car

      • No change. Still waiting for new dates to be scheduled at the local track.

    • 28) Complete second Spartan race

      • No change, but it’s only 11 days from today. Am I ready? Maybe. I’m in better shape than I was going in last year and I know better what to expect. Do I feel ready? Not really! The Spartan Race is October 19th so I’ll check it off next update.

    • 29) Attend a NASCAR event

      • NEW: Plans are to attend the NASCAR Nationwide Series event this coming Friday in Charlotte, NC. The Cup race would be nice, but it’ll still count!

    • 31) BMI 25 or less

      • UPDATE: Started the year at about 27, and I’ve been lower than my current 25.7. Only five pounds to get there and it’s frustrating because I’m not going to do some silly diet or crazy fast to get there. Overall, I’m winning because I feel better, but I still want to hit the BMI target.

    • 33) Record 2M steps in 2013

      • UPDATE: Last month I was 21 days behind, and now I’m only 11 days behind. That’s significant progress after the post-half marathon slow down. If I can average just over 6000 steps per day, I’ll make it. And I know I can do that if I keep track and remember to get them in every day. A few races will help if scheduling works out! Through yesterday I’ve completed 1,488,204 steps.

    • 34) Complete the Manitou Springs Incline

      • NEW: After climbing 10 stories in my hotel earlier this week, I’m not sure this will be a lot of fun. But since I’ll be in Colorado in November anyway, I might as well accept the challenge.

    • 35) Ride over 1200 miles

      • UPDATE: Added another 168.61 miles in the past month, including 103 on the JDRF Ride. My total for the year is now 834.56. If I average just over 30 miles per week, I’ll hit my goal. That shouldn’t be too difficult, but finding another organized ride to fit my schedule would help.

    • 38) Wildcard #3: Make My Military Shadowbox

      • No change. I did find a box with a lot of my old stuff in it!

    • 39) Wildcard #4: Headline a Conference

      • UPDATE: Unfortunately the conference fell through and won’t be happening, so I’ll have to put 39 back into a Wildcard status.

    No Update to Report (Yet!)

    • 5) Host a party
    • 6) Have a getaway weekend with Heather
    • 8) Have a family service project
    • 10) Family Vacation
    • 19) Establish LLC
    • 20) Start a podcast
    • 30) Take a firearms safety class
    • 37) Wildcard #2: Send Letter to My Address in England
    • 39) Wildcard #4
    • 40) Wildcard #5

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    JDRF Nashville Ride Report

    My JDRF Ride Gear[/caption]On September 21st, I rode 103 miles on my bike through the hills of central Tennessee. This is the play by play (it’s long):

    The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Ride to Cure event was the entire weekend. I drove 10+ hours on Thursday from SE Georgia to Tennessee. It was late so I opted to skip the dinner Thursday night and get some rest.

    Friday morning we had a safety meeting, followed by a short tune-up ride. I skipped the ride since my bike had been in one piece in the back of my car (not shipped in like so many others). It was great meeting up with the team from Alabama, some of whom I’d met on a training ride a few weeks ago (when I crashed). That afternoon was free, so I headed back to the place I was staying and did some work. It was the calm before the storm, but I was feeling pretty good. That evening we had a big dinner under a huge tent in the parking lot of one of the hotels near Vanderbilt stadium. Lots of fun and I really started to get an idea of what JDRF is all about.

    My JDRF Ride Gear
    My JDRF Ride Gear
    I signed up for this ride to ride more than to support a cause. I have friends with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) or who have kids with T1D. I knew it was a good cause. I didn’t know the spirit of the people around it though. They told incredible stories, sometimes funny and sometimes heart-wrenching. They were there for the cause, but they never leave it. They are there for the cause every single day. That seems to make sense for those directly affected by it, but there are so many who are not until they participate in events like this.

    There were 515 riders participating. More than $1.5 Million was raised. This was the biggest event in JDRF history, and also the most difficult course of the year (maybe of them all). The top fundraiser brought in more than $40K in donations. I felt bad for not doing more (I’m still working to get to $2K, and I wrote the checks for most of that). That shows the power of connecting to a cause with your whole heart. [Donations are still being accepted! Click here!]

    JDRF Start
    At the start of the inaugural JDRF Nashville ride.
    Rain was a threat the entire week leading up to the ride. My friend and his daughter from Texas decided the forecast was too bad and opted not to come. It started raining Friday night and into Saturday morning. But the system moved through quickly, and by the time I got to the starting point there was only a one hour delay to the start.

    It was wet, but it wasn’t raining when we lined up at 7:30 am. Our group left in the second wave, but it was still a ton of people. Just getting started in that big of a group was one of the most difficult things for me. I was also wearing a rain jacket for the first time. Weaving through town in a group of 150 or so riders was slow and it was very wet at times. It was a bit chilly as well, but I was focused and didn’t notice much.

    There were six breakpoints on the course. I skipped the first one at about mile 12 because we had to get to the third one by 10:20 am or we wouldn’t be allowed to go for the entire course. A mile later I had to go to the bathroom (hydration’s fatal flaw!). Still, I held out for the second stop at about mile 20. Here I shed my rain jacket which was getting hot. We were now on the Natchez Trace and had a lot less car traffic.

    There were some wicked hills in the beginning. I walked one and knew that I’d be walking some more. I can handle the shorter ones, but the long slow ones wear me out and I can’t stay on the bike much below 6 mph. Practice and training will make me better, but it’s flat as can be where I live and work!

    I made it to the third breakpoint right around 10:20 am and wasn’t sure I’d be able to continue. It had been a hard push to get there before the cutoff. But once I got some water and a snack, they said it had been pushed back to 10:40 am and most people were relieved. I was as well, but part of me thought about turning back during the entire 33 mile ride out there. But I really wanted to do 100 miles (a 40 Before 40 goal), so I got back on the bike and kept going. By now the sun was out and the temps were up to the mid-60’s from the below 60 degree start.

    Heading out to the turnaround offered some beautiful views and more wicked hills. I learned a lot about timing my shifts and seeing how far I could push myself. It was hard going up but fun going down! I hit almost 40 mph a few times! Scary when you look down and see that number (now I know why they don’t have speedometers in NASCAR!).

    JDRF Halfway
    Just past halfway at a the top of a beautiful hill. I love Tennessee!
    The sixth stop (which I skipped going to the turnaround) was high up on a hill and difficult to get to, but beautiful. I stayed there too long and felt it when I headed back out. My butt, arms, and neck were sore, and a headache was starting, but pressed forward now that I was 60+ miles in. The first few hills got me, but I bounced back and beat quite a few into the next breakpoint.

    I only saw a few other people walking, but everyone was checking on everyone else and supporting them. It was really neat.

    For the last 30 miles I just wanted to not quit. My butt didn’t even hurt anymore, I was just tired. Traffic was really bad coming back into town, but we made it. I was the last of our team to return (not all did 100) and as I crossed the finish line I pumped my arm in the air to the cheers of the crowd of strangers. I wish I had a picture from that moment!

    JDRF Victory!
    Victory! More than 100 miles completed for JDRF!
    I was sore, sweaty and probably didn’t smell so hot. I got my medal and had a friend take the picture of me holding my bike upside down over my head (much easier with carbon fiber!).

    That night we had a celebration dinner that was a lot of fun, but I missed out on a lot not staying at the hotel. The 30 minute drive to where I was staying was fine though the tiredness really set in. I settled my things, got a great shower and then 9+ hours of sleep. When I woke up in the morning, I was sore and sunburned and tired, but overall okay.

    On the same weekend a year before, I rode in my first event. I did 45 miles and was wiped out for the entire day, and pretty much for a week after. This time most of my soreness left after a few days, and I never really felt exhausted after the ride was over.

    I’m getting better thanks to my fitness coaches Steve and Jody Berkey of 90Revolutions.com. I’ll never ride the Tour de France or compete with other athletes, but in competing with myself I’m winning. And that feels good.

    Now I just need to pick my next physical challenge…

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    40 Before 40 September Update

    My birthday is on the 8th of January, so I’ll be posting my 40 Before 40 updates on the 8th of each month. Here’s the September update:

    Only four months remain, and this experiment is getting interesting. Since I started I have at least three friends who have been inspired by the concept to create their own lists (something that I never intended to happen but I consider an incredible honor). My wife turned 40 a couple of days ago and earned the title “Cougar” for a few months until I catch up with her again. But better than that is how she proudly owns “Club 40” as her own now. I hope I handle it as well as she has.

    But the list has also become a burden. The self-imposed pressure to get things done before the deadline is motivating at times, but it also wears me out. I find myself wondering if I’m simply checking things off of a list or really enjoying them. I may have bitten off more than can be done, but in the end I think I’ll still be happy for the effort. It has been a much more intentional year than the prior 39. Now for the update…

    For the original list and more info about each item, go to WoosleyCoaching.com/40

    Newly Completed

    • 3) Teach Ian to ride a bike

      • Finally! Today after several marathons of Minecraft, I got the boy to go outside and attempt once again to ride his bike. I pumped up his very flat tires, gave him my old helmet (he has a large cranium), and we set off for the grass field across from the house. After a successful first ride and spectacular crash–he jumped up and declared himself okay–we continued a few practice runs before getting on the street. It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t perfect, but he did manage to complete a loop around our cul-de-sac. He’ll need a lot of practice before we can cruise the neighborhood together, but at least he’s pedaling now!

    Completed

    • 2) Father/Son Event

      • July 5th – Our planned father-son trip to Missouri to visit my parents and grandparents fell through, so we had to find something else to do over the holiday weekend. Since the trip is re-scheduled for a few weeks from now, we decided keep it simple and go see Man of Steel and pig out on sushi (and we did, including some with Pop Rocks on it). It was a great guys-only day with my little buddy!

    • 14) Publish first book

      • June 13th – That was the day I submitted the final version to the printer. What an amazing and strange moment…almost exactly three years since I first outlined the book, it was finished. Get your copy of Conquering the Entrepreneur’s Kryptonite: Simple Strategic Planning for You and Your Business today at Amazon.com and check out the book website, ConquerYourKryptonite.com.

    • 36) Wildcard #1: Attempt a Half Marathon

      • May 19th – I really wanted to do a full blog post just about the half marathon (I probably will soon), but I let the book take priority. But lets focus on the goal, and the key word is “attempt” so I completed the goal at the start of the race. Then I conquered the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon in just over two hours and forty minutes. I may not be fast, but I beat my 2:45:00 bonus goal!

      After the Half Marathon
      Jessica Brown, Jody Berkey, Steve Berkey and me after the race

    • 18) Finish office

      • May 12th – The office is done! In a frenzied weekend, I finished all of the painting, hanging blinds and curtains, and moved in the basic furniture (including some of the goodies I got at IKEA!). There are still some finishing touches to make in terms of decorating and organizing, but the office is functional and I love working in my own space. It was perfect for finishing up the book.My Home Office

    • 13) Visit Congress or AL Legislature

      • April 24th – It took a few months of rescheduling but I finally got to Montgomery! It was quite an experience seeing how government works (or doesn’t, depending on the day and the topic). Such an honor to represent my city and school system, as well as all of the public school systems in Alabama. Met with several legislators and was even recognized from the floor of the House!

    • 26) Complete first 5K race

      • March 9th – The Gator Hustle 5K in 33:36 minutes.

    • 32) Complete a fast

      • March 30th – No soft drinks for 40 days before Easter.

    Making Meaningful Progress

    • 1) Daddy/Daughter Getaway

      • No change. Sadly with summer coming to a close, this item may have to be adapted. I travel a lot but do my best to spend time with the kids. This is about having specific time with my daughter (now a teenager…how did that happen?). Looking at a Saturday adventure of some kind.

    • 4) Get gloves and play catch with Anna and Ian

      • No change. This summer has been hot and busy. Autumn is a much more friendly time for baseball, right?

    • 7) Start recycling

      • No change. Good intentions gone bad. Need to clean up the overflowing bins in the garage and re-kickstart this one.

    • 9) Visit a museum or attend a symphony/play/opera

      • No change. Two words: Alice Cooper. I’m going to call this a cultural event and let it count. Plus it makes my wife happy and will be a ton of fun! Just have to wait until November.

    • 11) Read the entire Bible

      • I’m now in the midst of Jeremiah, on page 818 of the 1339 pages in my Bible. That’s 61.1% completed. I’m still a bit behind, but looking forward to the coming chapters and getting into the New Testament.

    • 12) 12 Dates with My Wife

      • Got another date in the books, just after my last update. Halfway there and looking forward to strong finish.

    • 15) Produce 10 products (ebooks, audio programs, etc.)

      • Writing a book was number one and still an amazing feat. The Kindle version was number two. (Both are available on Amazon.com). And today I can add the third…the audiobook! It has been submitted to Amazon, iTunes, and Audible and should be available in the next week or two. Whew! Now to work on some non-CtEK products!

    • 21) Consistently wake up between 5-6 am

      • Only four days in the past 40 before 6 am. I really stink at this one, but I get a lot of work done at night!

    • 24) Make 100 blog posts

      • This post makes 24 since the beginning of the year…it’s not looking good. I have plenty to write about, it just gets buried under other priorities (the audiobook was a monster!). New strategy coming soon.

    • 25) Ride a Century (100 mile single bike event)

      • I’m scheduled to ride the JDRF Nashville charity ride in September (WoosleyCoaching.com/jdrf. On August 25th I met up with eight other riders to do 75 miles on the Chief Ladiga/Silver Comet trails (a Rails-to-Trails project between Alabama and Georgia. In spite of a minor crash at the state line 13 miles into the day (“it’s just a flesh wound”), I managed to set a new personal daily distance record AND conquered some hilly terrain. Nashville won’t be easy, but I know I can do it!

    • 27) Drive a race car

      • No change. Still waiting for new dates to be scheduled at the local track.

    • 28) Complete second Spartan race

      • No change. Spartan Race still scheduled so I must be doing it.

    • 31) BMI 25 or less

      • Started the year at about 27, and I’m now at 25.4. The last three or four pounds to get there are just teasing me. But whether it’s my weight or my BMI, it’s just a number. I feel better and my clothes fit better, so I’m still winning.
      < li>33) Record 2M steps in 2013

      August started well and I had a few very big days, but I also had some down time when I wasn’t feeling well. If I had been competing for a second half marathon like my friends, my totals would be better. I’m now 21 days behind the needed pace to get to two million steps. I may have to commit to a half marathon in December to make it! Through yesterday I’ve completed 1,294,614 steps.

    • 35) Ride over 1200 miles

      • Added another 172.9 miles in the past month. My total for the year is now 665.95. With the JDRF Century and training, I should log 1200 without issue.

    • 38) Wildcard #3: Make My Military Shadowbox

      • No change. I did find a box with a lot of my old stuff in it!

    • 39) Wildcard #4: Headline a Conference

      • The formal announcement is coming any day now….I’ve attended a lot of conferences over the past few years. I’ve even spoken at a few. But now I have the opportunity to share the stage with some great friends at a place that is very special to me and my recent history. Mark your calendars for October 11th and plan to be in Franklin, TN. Details coming soon!

    No Update to Report (Yet!)

    • 5) Host a party
    • 6) Have a getaway weekend with Heather
    • 8) Have a family service project
    • 10) Family Vacation
    • 16) Conduct group coaching course
    • 17) Conduct first STRATOP
    • 19) Establish LLC
    • 20) Start a podcast
    • 22) Teach a community class (other than FPU)
    • 23) Join/Start Local Mastermind/Networking Group
    • 29) Attend a NASCAR event
    • 30) Take a firearms safety class
    • 34) Complete the Manitou Springs Incline
    • 37) Wildcard #2: Send Letter to My Address in England
    • 40) Wildcard #5

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    100 Books and 100 Miles

    In just 32 days, I’ll wake up early on a Saturday morning and go for a bike ride. But this won’t be any ordinary ride.

    I’m cycling 100 miles for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) in Nashville, Tennessee. JDRF is working hard for those affected with Type 1 Diabetes, and I’m honored to support a number of friends who have the disease or have children with the disease.

    I’ve made a donation and I’m covering all of my costs (hotel, travel, etc.). But I need to raise another $1900, and I’d love to raise even more. A lot more!

    So I’m giving away 100 autographed copies of my new book, Conquer the Entrepreneur’s Kryptonite. All you need to do is make at least a $100 donation on my JDRF fundraising page (I never touch the money and it’s 100% tax-deductible). I’ll even pay the shipping cost, and you get access to a lot of other great e-products from my friends.

    To learn more about the ride or the different reward levels ($28, $48, $78) and incentives, visit WoosleyCoaching.com/jdrf100.

    To make a donation, visit my JDRF fundraising page at
    http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/jameswoosley.

    Thank you for your support of me and those with Type 1 Diabetes!

    Connect with James