I just took my fatness for some fitness... and you should too!

I just took my fatness for some fitness and you should too. Well, you don't have to take MY fatness for some fitness but you should take your own.

So far this week, I've been running five days in a row and I'll be doing day six tomorrow. That shouldn't be a major feat but, I've really been slacking since I was laid off in March. In February of 2008, I weighed in at 229 lbs - I've got to make sure I don't let that happen again.

The History of My Fatness

I've been heavy all of my life with varying degrees of success in dealing with it. At the end of middle school, I got a job working at a lumber yard and spent the first two weeks of each summer shoveling horse manure for 8 hours a day(if you're ever looking for a job to brag about, shoveling wet horse poop all day is definitely the way to go) . That first summer, I also rode a ten speed bicycle 12 to 24 miles a day two or three times each week and managed to enter high school a bit thinner but certainly still heavier than I could have been. The next summer (between 9th & 10th grade), I again rode my bike several times a week and managed to stay in decent shape.

In the 9th grade, I gave the track team a try as a shot putter. I didn't run at all but ended up running the 800m (1/2 mile) at two races just so that I could go to the regional meet for the sake of the trip. You know you're a great shot putter when its suggested that you'll have a better chance getting to the regional meet as a ~170 lb kid doing a half mile sprint! The first time I ran the 800, I actually led the first lap and then "hit the wall" so bad I wanted to die or throw up (or die while throwing up since that worked out so well for Jimmy Hendrix) but at the end of the race, I had a huge endorphin rush and felt like Superman (assuming Superman ever had a moment when he was just happy to not be lying on the ground inhaling his own vomit) so it wasn't all bad.

At the start of 10th grade, my friend Raymond talked me into giving Cross Country a try. I'm still surprised that I tried it - or that I was dumb enough to do a 5k run on the first day in hiking style tennis shoes rather than actual running shoes. I also sat down and took a long break after the run and then was close to never walking again because I cramped up so bad!! You know what though? Aside from the horrific leg pain for three days after, I actually kind of enjoyed it. I ran (or you could say jogged if you compared my times with those of fast runners) cross country for three years after that. One of the few things I'm grateful for in regards to attending a small high school was that there weren't enough people who thought running eight miles a day and finishing where you started was so much fun that I wouldn't have a spot on the team.

I enjoyed cross country practice much more than the races. Once I was in pretty good shape, it was GREAT to do an eight mile run with friends and hold a conversation for most of it. At one point, I did a 14 mile run on my own carrying a walkman (yeah - portable TAPE player!) and absolutely loved it. So did I get 'skinny' during cross country? Nope! I was still ~180 lbs despite doing distance runs four or five days a week plus 5k races once a week.

After high school, I continued running off and on but also spent a summer building power lines in the middle of nowhere Montana. Doing manual labor for 9 hours a day, 5 days a week with no snacks or junk food nearby can get a man in shape!! During my early college years, I rollerbladed five to ten miles a night, three days a week. At 21 years old, I weight 182 lbs and pants with a 32" waist were actually loose on me. So what the heck happened??!!

Letting It All Go & Getting It Back

Like pretty much everyone, I often let "life" get in the way of getting regular exercise or doing other things that are good for me. Sometimes, you just think you're too busy to exercise or you tell yourself you'll get around to it later. Since getting married, I've worked, I've finished college and I've worked some more. I've cycled through times of running and lifting weights regularly and getting "back in shape" but my weight clearly trended upwards.

Last February, when I saw 229 on the scale and saw myself in the mirror, I was pretty disgusted. I don't like seeing myself nude - I feel sorry for my wife when she has to see me nude! I got a gym membership and started lifting weights and hitting the treadmill (by the way - I killed a few treadmills while working out at BSU several years ago - treadmills don't like it when beefy guys run faster than an 8 minute mile for a few miles). When summer hit, I started riding my bike more and then in the fall, I got back into running on a regular basis and did a 5k on January 1st and managed sub 8 minute miles!

Was it always pleasant to go running or lift weights? No. Did I always feel like getting off my butt and going? No. Did I feel 200 times better for having done it? ABSOLUTELY!! When running at 229 lbs was miserable, I thought about how much easier it would be without the extra pounds. In February of 2009, I was doing 6 mile runs at an 8 minute pace and ENJOYING it again!! I kept thinking to myself, "WHY THE HECK DID I LET MYSELF GO SO BAD BEFORE?" After going through so many cycles of getting in shape and then slacking off and letting myself go again, I'm still amazed that I don't permanently learn my lesson!

I got down to 198 lbs but the layoff in March was a SERIOUS de-motivator! I didn't work out much for three months and, after moving to Price, I had to start over again with getting back in to exercise. I only gained five pounds but certainly lost some muscle and definitely lost some conditioning. Luckily, its been a pretty easy road getting back to running again and so now, this blog is a reminder to ME and to YOU that.... STAYING IN SHAPE IS MUCH EASIER THAN GETTING IN SHAPE!!

Get Off The Couch!!

If you're not exercising on a regular basis, START DOING IT! If you are exercising regularly, KEEP DOING IT!! I always feel so much better when I'm exercising regularly and its also a great way to ensure that I'll be around to see my kids growing up and I'll even be able to participate in their lives. Leslie has been either running or following along to an exercise video a few days a week lately and I'm proud of her - she'll be ready to keep up with the kids too and in the meantime... Hey Baby (wink wink, suggestive eyebrow raise).

I have a goal - and you should have one too!! At 21, I weighed 182 lbs and could go enjoy a five mile run without wheezing, cramping or vomiting. I turn 31 in February of 2010 and I will weight 182 lbs or less and be able to go enjoy a five mile run without the aforementioned wheezing, cramping or vomiting. I have another goal - I'm going to teach my children the value of exercise and teach them to enjoy it by being involved in their activities and participating with them (yeah, I'll be the freakishly tall 'kid' playing short-stop on the T-Ball team!).

Blood, Urine and Red Wine --- We Got a New Bed!!

After ditching our nine year old king size bed (via a trip to the dump) prior to our move from Boise to Price, we've been sleeping on a futon for the last month. Sure, its a quality futon mattress that has springs and supports you well enough that you never feel a futon bar but, its still not a real bed and isn't the most comfortable thing in the world.

For the last month, my pickup, along with my dirt bike and enough other stuff to fill a 5' x 8' trailer and the pickup box have been sitting in Boise. We made a retrieval trip over the 4th of July and with the truck now here, we were able to make the trip to the SLC area for a mattress purchase.

We opted for Denver Mattress Company based primarily on the availability of reputable mattresses that don't cost over $2000. We didn't have much difficulty finding a comfortable bed (and at $500 for a queen size, it fit our budget well too) but we also invested in the Value Pack which includes two pillows, a mattress pad and a bed care and cleaner kit. And just what is the bed care and cleaner kit good for you ask? It includes a protectant spray but also includes a cleaner that's great for blood, urine and red wine. Blood, urine, and red wine?? I went to college and was in a fraternity during my time at UWyo but I still had to ask... what kind of night did you have when its time to clean blood, urine and red wine from your mattress?

And if you think our salesman was the only one enjoying our presence, you're mistaken. I flopped down on the right side of one mattress that already had another salesman sitting on the left side. I let him know I was setting up for a snuggle and even rolled over but apparently he wasn't interested in a good spooning. Oh well, his loss.

Regardless of whatever Hunter S. Thompson'esque adventures the salesmen at Denver Mattress Co embark on (though obviously the non-spooning prude isn't in on those), we're happy to have a real bed again and to now be fully moved in to our rental in Price.