Maybe you’re wondering. Maybe you’re not. Either way, I’ll tell you what it is.
Ok, so this is what I have been thinking. I am 46 as of this writing. I weigh about 204, I am 5’10” or so, waist size 36 and a case of mild arthritis in both knees (according to my orthopedist).
For weeks now I have been sitting in front of my damn computer working and thinking to myself, “Man, I feel like crap. I look like crap. Somethings gotta change”.
Just so you know, I am not a lazy guy. In fact, pretty much every day I walk, jog, or bike for 30 to 45 minutes. Yes, even with my damn knees I jog. I used to hate it, but I have actually grown to like it. I don’t jog very far yet, but I can go further than I did when I started 🙂 I average about 1.5 miles of jogging and 1.5 miles of walking at a brisk pace whenever I go out.
So, I am not starting from nothing.
So why am I 204 lbs? What is my downfall? What do you think?
Food.
I eat too much, and usually too late at night. I am such an idiot because I can do my daily routine, burn between 350 and 900 calories and come home and eat like shit. So much for the burned calories 🙂 (although I guess you could say that if not for those calories burned I would be 304 by now…)
So anyway, back to this challenge thing…
Recently I got an email from a friend of mine. He’s 38 and a former Marine. He was starting to feel pretty much the same way and decided to do something about it. Over an 8 week period he lost about 30 lbs and went from a waist size 34 to a 30. He’s looking good. So I traded a few emails with him and he sent me his “program” that he follows.
No, I won’t state any specifics because he’s coming out with a product based on this. But what I have decided to do is use his program and chronicle my progress. The purpose of this blog is to do just that. And to be my “accountability” partner. In fact, if you’re reading this then you are one of my defacto partners too 🙂
Now, when I was trading emails with this friend it was also the day before the New York City Marathon. And that sparked an idea…
I now have an additional goal. My new goal is to train to run in that marathon in 2011. November. About a year from now. Not to win it. But to complete it. 26.2 miles, running as much of it as I can.
And you want to know something funny? I have told this to about 4 people (until this blog post) and not ONE of them laughed at me or told me I was crazy. Not even my 20 year old son. In fact, they are convinced I can pull this off.
Me, I am not so sure yet. Ask me in 6 months and I’ll have a better answer for you. But I know I want to try this. And I have also decided to put a little meaning behind it.
My plan is to run for charity in the name of my niece Lauren Savino, who passed away 2 years ago this December of colon cancer at the age of 18. I am calling in my “Love for Lauren” run. And the charity will be for Tomorrows Children Fund. They don’t know it yet because I have just decided this. They are a worthwhile organization and were there every step of the way for my sister and her family, as well as for Lauren during her battle.
So now comes the hard part…figuring this out. I have another friend who is into fitness and nutrition helping me with things like supplements, diet, etc. So perhaps this can really work.
In a couple of days it’s Thanksgiving. I am going to spend the rest of this week strategizing a game plan and celebrating this holiday with my family. Then, as they say, it’s off to the races.
My goal is to blog what I do daily, how my diet/nutrition part is doing, my exercise and training regimen and so on. I will also at some point post my “before” picture, then interim pictures until I meet my goals. With the help of my friends and family – and yours too – I feel like the odds are in my favor. And when I run the marathon, I hope that if you can’t be there in person, you will be in thought and with contribution to our cause.
Stay tuned…
