Day 120...Just Over Four Months In...Three to Go

I know...the math doesn't jive, does it!  Somewhere along the line, my days got messed up...or maybe it's just because not all of the months have the same number of days...who knows.  This however, I am sure of...in 94 days I will be competing in a 90-minute bike race, that I will have spent just over seven months preparing for.  Then...its off to vacation in St. Maarten with friends!  Today will be my last post for the month of May, and in June I will begin counting down the days to race-day. 

I haven't posted my numbers for quite some time, so I thought today would be as good of a day as any to do just that.  But before I begin, I wanted to take a little time to honor those who are deserving, on this Memorial Day, 2011.  So let's talk about Memorial Day, and what it really means.

Memorial Day, as we all know, is a day of remembrance for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in our nation's service.  Did you know that Memorial Day was originally named Decoration Day, and that it was originally established to honor those who had died during the Civil War?  I just found that out this morning.

Here are some other interesting facts about the history of Memorial Day, that you might be interested in:

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. 

General John Logan

The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). 

It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee. 

Sadly, Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored and neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.  To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed in December of 2000  which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to Taps.  So I encourage all of you to observe this day for what it is, and for the opportunities and privileges that we as Americans have...as those were paid for by the death of American soldiers throughout the years.

Alright, lets look at the numbers now!

Total Body Weight = 185

Body Fat % = 11.6%

Lean Mass Weight = 163.54 lbs

Fat Mass Weight = 21.46 lbs

Slowly but surely, I'm getting there.  I believe the last time I posted my numbers was March 24th.  Since then, I have lost another 2.5 pounds of fat, and gained an additional 3.5 pounds of muscle.  I'm getting close to my goal of 185lbs at 10% body fat...I have roughly 3 pounds of fat to lose still, and 3 pounds of muscle to gain.  

Have a great Memorial Day, and don't forget to pay tribute to those men and women who have died in service of our great country!