Do you think I'd get anything out of CERT given my fire academy, EMR, and already having ICS 100, 200, 700 & 800? I suspect there's tidbits, but I also suspect there'd be a lot of overlap with stuff I've already learned. I like the CERT concept a lot. I really wish more people understood it better because to me, it's like the whole original constitutional intent of the citizen soldier in many ways, just applied to other, non-military concepts.
I do need to get on my comms some day. My brother is a HAM (not sure what level, but I know he has some crazy huge transmitter somewhere in his basement, but not sure what band. He said 5kw, but he's prone to exaggeration) and I used to be into SSB CB really big time. I've also worked around public service radios (150-174mhz) for almost 25 years, so I frequently know more than the FD "expert" (for the first 18 months I was with the department their simplex channel didn't work because they had all the radios receiving with a tone guard that was different than the repeater tone, thus they couldn't hear dispatch when using the portable to portable frequency. They finally listened after I was able to look at their programming spreadsheet).
Between 2003-2009 I was riding a lot. Peaking in 2006 around 14 hours a week training and doing 24 hour racing (including a solo and a duo). I've let that slip away and haven't ridden 100 miles since 2011, but I resumed trail running intermittently and hiking fairly regularly. Like you, I'm about 15-20 pounds over what I'd like to be, but in general, I'm in shape. What I've learned in the academy is just how much my upper body has suffered. I really need to get back to doing Pilates 2-3 nights a week (just a basic mat workout) or yoga (although I do have some back issues that challenge me with yoga). That combined with some more calisthenic-type exercise, like what the fire department offers every Saturday morning. Ideally, something like 2 days a week on the bike for 60-180 minutes, 2 days a week trail running/hiking 30-180 minutes, Pilates 2 nights a week and a department workout once a week would be ideal with a total training time around 8 hours a week.
I've never gotten into the low carb thing. I've read a lot on aerobic fitness and how just a dietary change to eating fewer carbs during non-competition times can help improve muscle efficiency, vascularity in muscle tissue, and overall performance, but I've never tried it. I'm intrigued, but I've also always been a meat and potatoes guy. Always. It's a hard habit to change. My primary preps are based on what I eat every day; Jasmine rice, egg noodles, potatoes (daily consumption is stuff I grow, but I store dried taters), and beef, deer or chicken (again, daily I eat the stuff I kill or buy, but I store freeze-dried hamburger). I started juicing this year to improve my intake of nutrients I wasn't getting because I don't like eating veggies. It has helped, but it requires my garden to be producing (which has slowed significantly and will stop soon) or a lot of shopping and I'm a 35-40 minute round trip to the nearest grocery store. Excuses, excuses, but it's reality.
I was lucky and in 1988 went through ESI, a body guard school, and learned from the best, John Farnam. I went on to the police academy, SWAT training, and other courses that gave me a very solid foundation. In 2009 when I started carrying again (after probably 12 years when I wasn't carrying) I promised myself I'd take one class a year to stay proficient and I found that John was living in Colorado and his classes were readily available. Yes, they run about $600, but not having to travel and put money into rental cars, airfare and hotels makes that a lot more reasonable. That said, I haven't taken an advanced class since 1993 and it most definitely shows. While the fundamentals don't change, when I've tried recreating some of the old drills from advanced classes, I'm awakened to how much those skills can erode. I need an asskicker like John who will yell, scream and push me to my limits since I have no doubt, the real deal will be a whole lot worse.
And we really do need to grab that beer next time I'm up there.
