All The Wrong Reasons

Stats: 230lbs 5'10"

Activity Level: 30min workout 3x per week
Runs: 0
Walks 1x per week 30 min on treadmill

With 2017 in the rear-view, I start 2018 with renewed conviction to do something this year about my health and weight. Currently on 2 drugs for hypertension, 1 for cholesterol. AC1 creeping up to pre-diabetic levels.

I've tried swimming, dieting, vegetarianism, veganism, boot camps, martial arts, personal training - usually with some moderate level of success.

In 2016 I got down to 200lbs and had to purchase 36" waist pants. Now I'm glad I didn't donate those 38" pants.

It's not so much a New Year's resolution as it is turning 50 years old. Half a century.

The only two activities left to try are running and boxing. I'll try running.

Trying to be a positive person, I'll only say this once for the record and you won't see me write it again:

I hate running!

That being said, I want to like running. I like the benefits. I like the lean bodies it produces. I want that for myself. The endurance. The thrill of a race on a Saturday morning. The camaraderie. My legacy with my kids.

I think it might stem from my original bouts with running. I ran track in high school for all the wrong reasons.

Athletics were not my strong suit. I was more at home in the computer lab. But seeing that a letterman's jacket afforded one a certain social status, I looked for a sport I could compete in at the 11th grade level without any prior high school experience. Football was out, basketball not happening. I tried wrestling but on the first day of practice the coach taught us how to check someone's oil and I decided that was not for me.

Track

In 1984 the Riverwood High School Raiders Track team had the best looking uniforms. I won't elaborate but it might have had some influence on my decision. Everyone looked great. I decided to run.

All I can remember is dying, gasping for air running around the track, the sound of metal cleats, the smell of medicated rub and the pain of shin splints. I developed a weird triple breath cadence and never experienced "the high" of running.

I made it through the season but the coveted RW letter would not be mine. I never placed top 3 in a race nor broke any school records. I mostly ran #2 or #3 on the second relay team.

Comments

Officially Started...Officially dragging

7:00 AM came and went. It was 25° when I woke up to go running. Being new to running and as out of shape as I am, my lungs are already plotting a coup against me for starting this running business. They would not let me out in the cold weather. So that left me with 2 options: 1) Lunch Run 2) Evening in the dark run. Each option has advantages and disadvantages. I had my MWF workout with Jerome Biggers at Couture Bodies which I have prioritized. The thought of a workout with Mr. Biggs and then a 4+ mile run seemed daunting. But a night run has its own issues. I opted for the lunch run with some Beastie Boys Solid Gold Hits accompaniment which I randomly picked but later I believe saved my run. After Mr. Biggs ripped my arms and core, I set out on a course I'd created in PlotARoute . It would take me on some hills but after yesterday's run, I thought I could handle them. (Note to self - Coach put in a recovery day for a reason.) For me the first 1/2 mile is the most...

Gear UP!

I love to gear up! Every hobby has its own set of gear. And I believe if you are going to do something, do it. Now I don't condone spending a ton of money on something that you never use. I'm not wasteful. I usually absolutely loath spending more than $35 on a pair of sneakers. I am not a sneakerhead by any stretch of the imagination. I keep one everyday pair of sneakers and one old pair for dirty work. My current Filas are blown out by the right pinky toe but the soles don't have enough wear to justify a new pair. Heck, I just bought these 6 months ago. These are my "new" shoes. My wife gets a new pair of $100+ running shoes every 500 miles? Wait, what? Don't think I'm put out by the $100. It's the 500 miles that get me. Every time she shows up with a new pair of kicks, I think, "She just ran another 500 miles!" I'm lucky to run 1/2 a mile around the neighborhood on a really ambitious day. My step count hovers around 7000...

Sound Off!

So my official running plan starts tomorrow. I was determined to get another run in this weekend. I've learned when you make up your mind to do something, it gets done. I missed my chance to run on Saturday but I couldn't put it off anymore. But it was cold. And I'm fighting a cold, sniffles and aches and pains. Determined to run, I knew at 3:00 P.M. that it was probably at the warmest part of the day. The temp was only going to drop from the current 40°. I decided run on the street outside my house. No time to go anywhere. My kids wanted to join me and I run about their speed so everyone suited up and off we went. It's different running and talking vs running with music. Being Sunday, our discussion turned to God and Heaven. "Will we be able to see God with our own eyes? Hear Him with our ears? How old will we be in Heaven? Is there really going to be a banquet? What about the vegetarians? Why will the streets be gold?" Man the questions! The l...

Runner's Aversion

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