Preface
“If we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves.”
Thomas Edison
Approximately 8 months til goal…
I’ve struggled my entire life with being fat. Not just a little pudgy or “over weight” but fat. Some of my earliest memories are of my older brother asking my parents why I looked normal everywhere else except for my belly. I also remember wearing t-shirts to water parks thinking that wet layer of cotton clinging to my body somehow made the reality of my bulging torso invisible. Those were good times. Looking back, 4th grade was the hardest for me. I wore a size 30 jeans that year, and the harsh reality is they don’t make size 30 jeans for 4th grade boys. So not only was the fat kid wearing pants roughly two sizes smaller that my teacher, but I had denim leg-warmers to boot. Yeah, good times in deed.
Throughout my adult life, I’ve been battling the bulge one way or another with varying levels of success. But no matter what I do, it always seems to make it’s way back like that relative you don’t want around, but you just can’t say no to. Up until now, I’ve just accepted it as how my life is. I have always wanted to look at myself in the mirror and be proud of what I saw, but I’ve never really expected it. That was until this past week. My oldest daughter just finished the third grade, and by no means is she anywhere close to size I was in the fourth grade, but you can tell she has got her daddy’s genetics. I decided to make a lifestyle change for myself, and to help inspire my daughter that she doesn’t have to settle.
So I’m taking on a personal challenge to change… for good.
I’m going to begin an intense 8 month training program to run the tough mudder race. It’s a half marathon meets an obstacle course designed by British Special Forces. It’s exciting and yet at the same time, scares the crap out of me.
The catch is, as a father and a husband, I cannot allow myself to be completely consumed with training and dieting. I can’t put life on pause and go to live on the ranch for a few months like they do on the biggest loser. I have a life to live, a family to provide for and responsibilities at work that cannot be over looked. At the same time, I have to make this a priority, because I’m not getting any younger.
So here we go. This is going to be a collection of thoughts, struggles and progress all in one area, and hopefully in roughly 8 months time you will see a picture of me running through the finish line of one of the most physically challenging races out there.
