Day One: The Weigh-In

Training power, activate! Today, the Challenge has officially begun - I've joined the gym, and even set aside a little time for some light reading.

The Mental Challenge: Warped Passages by Lisa Randall (Ecco, 2005)

I already have a rudimentary understanding of quantum physics in the Standard Model, thanks to Stephen Hawking and Wikipedia. But this looks to be much more in-depth than say, The Universe in a Nutshell, and after the first chapter it seems to be nonetheless accessible to a lay person. Check out Dr. Randall's interview with Charlie Rose if you want a taste.

The relevance to the fight: What more potent weapon could I possibly wield than the secrets of the universe? Well, for one it would give me a tactical advantage should we do battle at any of the numerous (read: few) particle accelerators, including Fermilab in the President's own Illinois. Hey, Mr. President, what's the difference between a fermion and a boson? Oh, do you give up? Well too late, because my punchons have already communicated the strong force all over your face. That's SCIENCE.

The Physical Challenge: Actually Working Out

Today I joined the gym, lifted heavy things, and ran a substantial distance. I weighed in at 182 pounds. Not as bad as I thought.

After eight grueling minutes, I crawled to my car, battered, my legs useless at that point, and I had a startling revelation:

I know absolutely nothing about personal fitness.

So, I'm officially soliciting help from you guys. Got any workout tips? Dietary advice? If you have any exercise routines, or know of any superfoods that might help me, please comment here or shoot me an e-mail. Whatever. I know that my approach to diet and exercise depends on what kind of results I want, but that's kind of hard to put into words. So instead of describing what I'm looking for, I've decided to include this picture:



Yes, I am willing to substitute muscles for machine guns or chains.