This Labor Day weekend had a little bit of everything—races, cinnamon rolls, countdown milestones, and a reminder that even when things go right, they still don’t go exactly how you want them to.
On Sunday, I ran my 10K. Only four of us showed up, but I still gave it my all. I finished in 58 minutes flat, which is decent, especially considering I think we actually ran a little over 10K just to make sure we cleared the distance. The support was amazing—a bunch of guys came out to cheer us on, which made it feel like a real event. I appreciated that. But honestly, I wasn’t thrilled with my time. I’ve got a half-marathon coming up, and this run felt harder than it should have. Still, it was a solid training day, and now I know what I’ve got to work on.
Monday was the actual Labor Day celebration, and it came with some food perks. They gave us Cinnabons for breakfast, which was a real treat. I managed to snag an extra one and saved it to heat up later on the iron for dessert—definitely worth it. For lunch, they served the usual holiday special: two hot dogs and burgers, plus some watermelon on the side. It’s a little thing, but moments like that break up the monotony and make the day feel different.
That morning, though, was another personal win for me. I was the only one who showed up to the group workout with Vic, and we did the full Ultimate Burpee Workout. I’ve done this workout many times before, but I usually end up missing 20 or 30 reps. This time, I finished every single one for the first time. It felt like a huge milestone and showed how far I’ve come in building my strength and stamina. The full routine goes like this:
- 25 burpees with 4 pumps
- 25 burpees with 3 pumps
- 25 burpees with 2 pumps
- 25 burpees with 1 pump
- 25 kick-in push-ups
- 25 Navy Seal burpees
- 25 Mike Tyson push-ups
- 1 set of 10 crawl-out push-ups with 2 pumps
- 1 set of 10 crawl-out push-ups with 3 pumps
- 1 set of 10 crawl-out push-ups with 4 pumps
That might not mean much to people outside here, but trust me, that’s brutal. So even though my running hasn’t felt strong lately, my muscle strength and endurance are definitely up. It was a good reminder that progress can look different each week.
Sunday also marked a major moment—100 days left until I go home. I know you’re not “supposed” to count days in prison, but come on. I’m only human. Hitting that number gave me hope. It feels real now. I’m in the final stretch, and I’m ready to make it count.
Thanks again for following my journey.
Stay safe and stay legal out there.
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