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Call it a comeback! RC is Back!


robert
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Awesome!

 

Love hearing that! Keep it up!

 

PS, I have been busy every waking moment. I'm still training and have my workouts written on pieces of paper waiting to be typed up. I'm averaging 18 hours a day of work related activity it seems. 2AM now and up in a few hours so I'll head to bed but will update my journal asap.

 

I even had a new record lift at the world's most famous gym, so I have lots to report!

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I had an incredibly busy week, occupied 12-18 hours a day, doing amazing things, and of course, training, but I wasn't able find conjure up the energy to update my journal late at night before bed. I have my workouts outlined in pieces of paper and now I'm following up! I felt so bad because it could have "looked" like I just stopped training and/or stopped updating my journal as soon as our month-long challenged ended. I fell asleep at 3AM feeling bad about that but the energy wasn't there to type. I have been working out as much as 4 hours a day and doing 2 and 3-hour long flexing photo shoots in Los Angeles. I'm also driving across the country, living out of my car, staying with different friends each night, so it has been hard to juggle everything. I already put 2000 miles on my car in the past 10 days or so, and have another 1000+ miles to go.

 

Right now I'm enjoying a relaxing afternoon in the sun (finally, getting a moment to stop and sit) and I'm updating my journal.

 

This has been an awesome week! So pumped!

 

Hope you have an amazing weekend and month ahead!

 

-RC

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1/30/12

 

Today I got up early after a long couple of days at the Fit Expo and headed to the gym for an upper body workout before doing a magazine cover shoot.

 

At the gym I really hammered it. Even being relatively fatigued from the long week, I crushed it!

 

Warm-up: 20 minutes on the stair master for 125 floors of climbing

 

Dumbbell Shoulder Overhead Press

35's (70lbs) x 20

40's (80lbs) x 12

45's (90lbs) x 10 with Super Set of Shrugs with same weight x 25

50's (100lbs) x 10 with Super Set of Shrugs with same weight x 25

60's (120lbs) x 8 with Super Set of Shrugs with same weight x 15

 

Pull-ups

 

Wide grip

12 - and chest injury started to flare up so I switched to narrow

 

Narrow grip

15

15

12

 

Dumbbell Shrugs

85's (170lbs) x 20

90's (180lbs) x 15

100's (100lbs) x 15

105's (210lbs) x 12

 

I was in an out because I had to get back to prepare for a photo shoot.

 

When I got back to do the magazine cover photo shoot for a New Magazine called Vegan Health & Fitness Magazine, I ended up doing around 20 sets of push-ups of 10-25 reps, and no chest injury flare up surprisingly, and did at least 10 sets of biceps curls with 25lb dumbbells in each hand.

 

The photo shoot lasted for around 3 hours and I had to stay pumped the whole time.

 

When I wasn't doing sets of push-ups or biceps curls, I was flexing and posing for the camera, or off camera staying pumped.

 

All tolled, I must have "trained" 4 hours today. It was tough but I seemed to pull it off. I'm not real big now so I had to rely on having lots of definition, veins popping, and use of oil and lighting and specific angles and poses for me to look muscular

 

We'll see how it goes.

 

I had a lot of Vega and fruit to get me through the long, exhausting day of fitness.

 

Good times.

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1/31/12

 

Today I got up early after that long, exhausting 4-hour training day yesterday to meet up with one of our long-time forum members and biggest supporters! One of my homies from this forum came out to California for a visit. This cat has like a baker's dozen Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness clothing items, far more than me!

 

Tom and I explored all over L.A., checking out the vegan hotspots, eating a ton of calories and then decided to go burn them off!

 

We went for a 2-hour hike in Runyon Canyon and then headed over to the world's most famous gym, after a quick stop for a smoothie. It is hot and sunny out here, so after rehydrating, we made our way to Venice Gold's Gym!

 

At The Mecca of Bodybuilding, I had the following, awesome workout!

 

Warm-up: 20 minutes on the stair climber for 102 floors of climbing.

 

Bodyweight squats:

30

30

30

 

Deadlifts

115lbs x 20

135lbs x 20

185lbs x 7

205lbs x 5

225lbs x 3

250lbs x 2 (new PR since I returned to training, going up every single week!)

185lbs x 7

185lbs x 4

 

I tossed in those final couple of sets at lighter weight to get some good final reps in. Then was exhausted!

 

After all the hiking and deadlifts, I was pretty spent, and Tom was wrapping up his workout and we were super hungry, but I still managed to squeeze in 4 sets of barbell bent-over rows

 

Barbell Bent-Over Rows

135lbs x 10

135lbs x 8

135lbs x 8

135lbs x 10

 

Then we headed out for more calories, of course.

 

Exhausting days. Like, really exhausting, sometimes spending 3-5 hours in the car in LA traffic too, going from point A to B, but an awesome time nonetheless.

 

Then I had to get to bed. Another photo shoot in the morning!

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2/1/12

 

Time to start out a new month with another photo shoot! I dropped Tom off at the beach to go bike around Santa Monica and Venice while I met up with the talented Melissa Schwartz for a photo shoot in Los Angeles.

 

Again, lots of push-ups, though no dumbbells this time. No major chest injury kind of soreness, which was encouraging.

 

I probably did 20 sets of push-ups from 10-25 reps.

 

Lots of flexing today and lots of jaw movement, bringing sexy with silly pretty boy poses and I did some live rapping for the camera. There was both still camera and video camera running so I busted out some Eminem rap and then did a bit of freestyle.

 

Good times.

 

After the photo shoot. Tom and I met up for a whole lot more calories and a guided Buddhist Meditation class which was awesome. I did get a parking ticket which was a bummer, but I the mediation was great!

 

Today's entire workout was simply flexing and push-ups but it was still tough.

 

It's 3AM and I better get to sleep! Rarely time for me to get online after these 12-hour days of tour guide, adventure and workouts.

 

RC

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2/2/12

 

Today was epic. Simply put. I got up really early after a short night of sleep to pick up Tom from his hotel to get an early start to the day, since it was his last day in LA.

 

We headed straight to Pacific Coast Highway, taking Sunset Blvd all the way. We saw all the famous sights along Sunset and even pulled into Bel Air so Tom could see it. He picked an orange off a tree and was pretty pumped about it.

 

After Bel Air, we arrived at our destination, Topanga State Park. I was introduced to an amazing steep and challenging hiking trail that overlooks the ocean by my friends at Forks Over Knives back when I lived here. I even learned about the back way, which is extra difficult.

 

So check it out. At Runyon Canyon we saw hundreds of people and dogs along the trails the whole time, overlooking the city of Los Angeles. This time, we saw lizards and rabbits and butterflies and check it...not a single person for the first 2 hours as we hiked up the back way. It was so steep I even fell twice, and when I ran and sprinted up, which I did many times, it left me wanting to vomit and I had to bend over and hold my knees to gasp for air and keep from sitting to recover.

 

About 45 minutes into the epic hike I took off to sprint/run while Tom enjoyed being in nature, and away from the winter in Cleveland, OH where we was flying back to tonight.

 

I got to the top and it was an amazing view of the ocean and Pacific Palasades, Santa Monica, and so on.

 

About 20 minutes later Tom made it to the top. There we hung out in the sun and then continued down the trail, taking a different, not as steep or narrow, path.

 

All tolled, we were hiking between 3-4 hours! And it was a tough, exhausting, sweating through all clothing, kind of hike. We planned to go to Muscle Beach for a workout in the sun, but me being super short on sleep (as much hiking as I slept last night as far as hours goes) and both of us being impacted by 4 hours in direct hot sun without a lot of fluids (though I carried Vega Gel, Vega in a water bottle, and 4 baby bananas with me, which were all consumed) we skipped out on the extra workout.

 

Instead we went to the famous vegan restaurant Real Food Daily and happened to bump into the lovely vegan author Ani Phyo who was there filming some things, and then we went to the Forks Over Knives office for a visit.

 

After that, we had vegan Thai food and then we both got massages in Santa Monica (mine was amazing. Incredible deep tissue which I love, and felt so good on my tired muscles). Then a stop by Whole Foods on the way to the airport and said goodbye to Tom.

 

Epic day, in need of major rest! Planned to sleep in but just got a text from the Forks Over Knives producer to train in the morning on the beach with his trainer, who also trains top NFL players and other amazing athletes. Can't turn it down. Gotta sleep now.

 

RC

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2/3/12

 

Today I had the toughest workout of the year, and likely the toughest workout of the entire past 12 months!

 

I went with Kappel, who is a trainer to some of the greatest athletes the world has known (Top NFL running backs, for example) and I was left wimpering, almost crying and busted my hand open and scraped up both knees.

 

It's too hard to describe the workout. His training style is so unique. Our workout included use of a wheel, medicine balls, kettlebells and ropes, and I was left, broken. It was just so tough. I loved it, but it was incredibly painful.

 

Kappel helped me work through the pain by explaining why I was suffering, how to manage my breathing, to relax my face, to get the most out of my exertion, etc. He's amazing!

 

Brian, the producer of Forks Over Knives, treated me to the workout and he was talking trash the whole time. I talked trash back to him a bit too, but amazingly, I admit, he was dominating me through the exercises, even though I appear to be more fit and more muscular. He's just used to that style of training and the movements were so new to me, I was struggling. He crushed me in the first two, but in the final exercise which was multiple sets of virtually no rest, of sprinting through the loose sand while dragging a heavy kettlebell behind us which was attached to us by a belt and ropes, I completely dominated.

 

I also dominated running to the water and back, but that was an easy task, compared to everything else.

 

Super tough workout!

 

Then Brian and I went back to his place and each ate about 6 bananas and dates.

 

I grabbed more food after that and then spent 5 hours in the car driving to the next place I was staying, which was only 75 miles away. That can give you an idea about the insanity of LA Traffic on a Friday night!

 

Food now and then in desperate need of rest. Been such a long and exhausting week!

 

Goodnight.

 

RC

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2/4/12

 

Thanks! I really do need to rest up! Today was another classic long workout.

 

It went like this. I slept in a bit, but not dramatically, just a bit.

 

Got out in the sun, got some fruit and some Vega and I was all ready to rock my workout.

 

Workout:

 

I went for a hike for about an hour, including on hills, out in the sun.

 

Then I did 10 uphill sprints which left me winded, gasping for air. It was awesome!

 

After that 90 minutes or so of training, I had some fruit and Vega and then 2 hours later headed to the gym.

 

Gym workout:

 

Warm-up: Stair Master for 15 minutes, 93 floors. Pushed it pretty hard.

 

Bodyweight Squats:

30

30

30

 

Squats

45lbs x 20

135lbs x 12

155lbs x 10

155lbs x 10

155lbs x 10

135lbs x 12

135lbs x 12

 

I know that isn't very heavy, but with my history of lower back injuries, it was what I was comfortable with, and I still pushed it pretty hard, doing deep squats.

 

Dumbbell Walking Lunges

50s (100lbs) x 24 steps

55s (110lbs) x 20 steps

60s (120lbs) x 14 steps

65s (130lbs) x 16 steps

70s (140lbs) x 10 steps

80s (160lbs) x 12 steps (and then I fell over)

 

Solid day of lunging, especially!

 

After the workout I sat in the steamroom and stretched, then sat in the hot tub, then back in the steamroom to stretch more, then hot shower and headed back to where I'm staying.

 

It is about 1230AM now and I'm up at 630AM to head to Vegas to meet kareno and continue on to Austin, TX to keep working on our VB&F projects.

 

Night Night!

 

I'm a tired guy! 3 hours of training today and lots of sun.

 

Lots of leg workouts the past few days too!

 

RC

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Thanks! Soon I'll be carrying 100's in each hand.

 

I would do barbell walking lunges if I had a training partner.

 

I just arrived in Las Vegas. Perhaps I'll catch a workout with Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler this week and will have a spotter.

 

Taking a Rest Day today.

 

Just drove 4 hours. Relaxing the rest of the day

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2/5/12

 

Today was a rest day. I woke up early, drove 4 hours to Las Vegas and then had a relaxing afternoon hanging out in the sun and eating fruit from Whole Foods Market.

 

I took the day off from "work" for the most part too, to hang out with my good friend, kareno, who joined me here in Vegas and will drive me with to Austin, TX from here.

 

Nice relaxing day of driving, eating, Vega, and hanging out with one of my all-time best friends!

 

Hope you all have an awesome week!

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2/6/12

 

I slept in a bit today which was awesome since things have been so busy and hectic for the past week (but really for the past few months/years) so any and all slower paced days are a nice change of pace.

 

After sleeping in, I basically just ate and worked on my computer in the hotel room before finally leaving in the afternoon to head to Whole Foods for some shopping and then some errands around town and then off to the gym!

 

I headed to a local 24 Hour Fitness with kareno and we had an awesome workout. It went like this:

 

Warm-up: 15 minutes on the stair stepper for 88 floors of climbing

 

Bodyweight squats:

30

30

30

 

Invisible jump rope

200 jumps

200 jumps

 

I was showing kareno around the free weights so I just did some exercises for 1 set to demonstrate. Today had a shoulder and back workout on schedule, but I just limited it to shoulders and will do back tomorrow or again very soon.

 

Dumbbell Lateral raises

10's x 12

 

Dumbbell Front raises

10's x 12

 

Dumbbell Rear Delt raises

10's x 12

 

Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press

40's (80lbs) x 20 - Super set Shrugs x 25

50's (100lbs) x 10 - Super set Shrugs x 25

60's (120lbs) x 6 - Super set Shrugs x 20 (kareno gave me a spot on final rep)

60's (120lbs) x 7 - Super set Shrugs x 15 (kareno gave me a spot on final rep)

 

Straight Bar Upright Rows

70 x 12

70 x 12

80 x 12

90 x 6 - Drop set 80 x 6

 

Dumbbell Shrugs

90's x 12

100's x 12

 

Medicine ball partner sit-ups

30

30

 

Stationary bike for 15 minutes

 

Awesome workout and I'm looking forward to more great workouts in Vegas!

 

I just texted Jay Cutler and he said he'll text me tomorrow about getting a workout in so I'm looking forward to possibly training with 4x Mr. Olympia tomorrow!

 

Have a great week. Keep crushing it!

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One of the Whole Foods in Vegas has a huge,bigger than all the other stores in the area, deli/kitchen..it's in a nicer mall area...omg...they have an agave sweetened chocolate by a company called "xan",... Some of the best vegan chocolates ever, they are behind the counter not on the shelf, ...and only the WHole Foods in that region and then only a handful of those (it's called SoPac) have them. ( i really know every store...and i havent forgotten about the smaller chains re: areas that carry books...just have not pulled the list and made time- i gave your card to my local coop that i am running to be on Board of Director's and he said thanks, so when i am working again in the industry will plaster and canvas) Not sure if you do any crap food,but these are probably some of the best vegan chocolate candies ever...like best vegan, gluten free bakery is in Portland next to a Dr.Brew's on Alberta street)..cool on the Olympia workout..he is HUGe! And again, safe travels to Austin (now THAT Whole Foods is to freakin'die for)

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Hey Robert,

 

Awesome news about a possible training session with Jay Cutler, that will be amazing. I just had a thought that it would be an honour for some of us to train with you.

Maybe next time you do a challenge in the summer, you could have a top prize which will be to meet you and have a workout together. Would deinately make people try even harder and attract more people to the Vegan Bodybuilding site.

 

Thanks

 

Matt

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Hey Robert,

 

Awesome news about a possible training session with Jay Cutler, that will be amazing. I just had a thought that it would be an honour for some of us to train with you.

Maybe next time you do a challenge in the summer, you could have a top prize which will be to meet you and have a workout together. Would deinately make people try even harder and attract more people to the Vegan Bodybuilding site.

 

Thanks

 

Matt

 

That would be a great prize winner cover the cost of their flights I think the invaluable information and experience from Robert would be worth it!

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Thanks for the feedback!

 

I've thought about those types of prizes and even an all expenses paid trip for 2 to join me and many others on the vegan cruise in the Caribbean for a week, in 2013 if I can afford to offer something like that.

 

At the moment, my budget is so tiny, nearly all of our prizes are donated, aside from things I'm offering myself, such as books and clothing from Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness.

 

I'd love to offers come cool trips or meet-ups or training sessions, etc. with me and/or other members from this community, but I've got to get finances in order long before I make that happen.

 

We are selling a lot more Vega through the stores I work with, and we're going to be arranging more affiliate banners on the website to generate revenue and we'll keep making progress so we can continue to give back.

 

Still waiting to hear back from Jay about tonight's possible workout. kareno and I already worked out for about 90 minutes, but I'm hoping to catch another workout with Jay tonight, and a workout with a Professional Poker Player tomorrow.

 

Saw Joe Jackson today (Michael, Janet and Tito's dad) in Vegas, randomly. Actually, kareno spotted him. I wouldn't have even known what he looked like. He was outside of a restaurant next to the gym we trained in with a slick black Mercedes Benz.

 

Anyway, I'll update my journal later on with today's workout and hopefully have 2 workouts to write about!

 

Thanks for the suggestions for contests and prizes. Trust me, I want to offer the coolest stuff I can. I just have such a limited budget. I'm working on generating more revenue each day to keep exciting stuff coming your way.

 

All the best!

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Thanks for the feedback!

 

I've thought about those types of prizes and even an all expenses paid trip for 2 to join me and many others on the vegan cruise in the Caribbean for a week, in 2013 if I can afford to offer something like that.

 

At the moment, my budget is so tiny, nearly all of our prizes are donated, aside from things I'm offering myself, such as books and clothing from Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness.

 

I'd love to offers come cool trips or meet-ups or training sessions, etc. with me and/or other members from this community, but I've got to get finances in order long before I make that happen.

 

We are selling a lot more Vega through the stores I work with, and we're going to be arranging more affiliate banners on the website to generate revenue and we'll keep making progress so we can continue to give back.

 

Thanks for the suggestions for contests and prizes. Trust me, I want to offer the coolest stuff I can. I just have such a limited budget. I'm working on generating more revenue each day to keep exciting stuff coming your way.

 

All the best!

 

It is understandable that you have alot to do on a small budget, but like pphelps said I would pay for my own flight if I got to train with you. It's the education and experience you can give us that is the main prize.

Other than buying supplements from the stores your affiliated with is there anything law we can do to support you and the website?

 

Matt

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Thanks guys! I appreciate it big time. I'll follow up once I arrive in Texas in a few days. I've still been training too, in fact, had some really nice workouts, but I haven't been able to type them up.

 

Been a hectic schedule! For example, I went to bed around 430AM last night after a late night in Vegas with one of the world's top poker players (and vegan) Daniel Negreanu. Getting up early to drive 6 hours tomorrow.

 

Will type up workouts soon and provide feedback about ways to support the site.

 

I've been running it at a net loss for 10 years. Some friends tease me saying I'm the greatest non-profit organizer they know.

 

That will change soon. We have lots of exciting things going on. I just tend to give away everything I have so I kinda shoot myself in the foot.

 

Gotta sleep now. See ya!

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  • 2 weeks later...

2/7/12

 

Hit the gym again in Las Vegas today. Having a great trip out here.

 

Workout went like this:

 

Warm-up:

 

Invisible Jump Rope

200

200

200

200

200

200

 

Push-ups (working on getting my chest used to training again. Slow steps)

20

15

20

15

20

20

20

20

 

Pull-ups

 

Narrow grip

15

12

23

 

Wide grip

14

12

12

 

Incline Dumbbell rows for upper back/rear delts

30s x 10

30s x 12

30s x 15

35s x 10

40s x 10

50s x 6

 

Dumbbell Lateral Raises

15s x 12

15s x 12

20s x 10

20s x 8

20s x 10

 

Dumbbell Front Raises

15s x 12

15s x 12

20s x 12

20s x 8

20s x 10

 

Solid workout!

 

After the gym kareno and I went to the Wynn hotel and had dinner there and it was amazing! Just after dinner, one of the top poker players in the world texted me and said he'd come over to meet up with us. We ended up hanging out at the bar for about 4 or 5 hours. All of my drinks were non-alcoholic of course! A lot of people stopped to get photos with Daniel, but in general, we got to spend some quality time hanging out.

 

Very late night!

 

Great Vegas visit so far!

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2/9/12

 

Today kareno and I left Las Vegas. We had a great visit with one of her friends from her home town. We drove for about 5 hours to Phoenix, AZ and spent time with my great aunt and uncle who are ages 84 and 88. After a quick dinner at the vegan restaurant, Green, in Scottsdale, we hung out with my relatives for more than 3 hours. Then we headed over to the Arizona Biltmore Resort where I used to work back in 2001 as a massage therapist.

 

It was a rest day for both of us today and we called it a night pretty early after a long day of traveling and exploring around Phoenix.

 

Back in the gym tomorrow!

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2/10/12

 

Today was an epic day of exercise!

 

kareno and I got up early and headed to Camelback Montain to go hiking. There wasn't any parking to be found after multiple attempts, due to some event or contest being held there this morning. So we headed to another mountain, Squaw Peak, which has a new name I don't recall at the moment.

 

It was a beautiful day in the mid 80's and for 2.5 hours I hiked with my shirt off. I loved it! We climbed the steep hills (anyone familiar with it?) and made it to the top of the peak.

 

After the 2.5 hour hike, we headed to the gym. Though I had just hiked, and it was in the 80's, I felt like I cooled down once I entered the gym, so I hopped on the stair stepper to get myself warmed up again. Legs were feeling it though!

 

Gym workout went like this:

 

Stair stepper for 10 minutes

 

Bodyweight squats

30

30

30

 

Deadlifts

80lbs x 20

135lbs x 12

135lbs x 12

185lbs x 10

225lbs x 3

255lbs x 1 (new PR since I returned to training)

225lbs x 5

 

Bent-over rows

135lbs x 10

135lbs x 8

135lbs x 8

135lbs x 10

135lbs x 10

135lbs x 10

 

Solild 3.5-4 hours of training today. Beautiful weather in Phoenix!

 

After the gym we went to a great restaurant called Pomegranate Cafe, per kareno's recommendation and it was awesome!

 

We finally got on the road at around 6PM, which is about 6 hours later than I had planned, but the hiking and the sun got the best of me.

 

We made it all the way to El Paso, TX, arriving around 12:30AM after 6 hours of driving.

 

Totally wiped out after 4 hours training and 6+ hours driving.

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2/11/12

 

Today was a rest day of epic proportions! I bet you don't read that very often

 

It wasn't that I slept in and rested all day, taking it easy. It was actually amazingly challenging!

 

We got to the motel so late and eventually to bed so late, and up so early, that on 4.5 hours of sleep, I used this day to drive over 600 miles in 12 hours to make it to Austin TX. I drove the whole way from OR to TX and with the 1000 miles I put on in LA alone (driving back and forth for a week), the entire trip was 3800 miles.

 

Vegan Pizza and passing out!

 

Yay! We made it to Austin! Finally!

 

Now time to work on those New You for the New Year Prize Packages!

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