Running

Somehow I became a runner. Not exactly sure how and when it happened, but I made the transition from someone that runs to a runner and there is no turning back.

It was only 6 years ago or so that I was pretty adamant to my trainer about not running at all. I had not run more than a 100 yards since being forced to do so in PE class in high school (or was it middle school). I just didn’t really see the appeal. Honestly, I managed to go the majority of my life without really ever doing much exercise and certainly not playing any “sports.” I was the classic geek who would rather read a book or have a good meal than get my body moving.

Then we age.

Today, in my 40s, I am in better shape than at any other time in my life. I say this less to brag but to continue to drive my own motivation. Watching so many of my age peers start to let themselves go when they turn 40 is depressing. For me, this was the time to demonstrate how hard and far I could push myself. This was the time to run and fly.

Well, maybe not fly. I always dreamed of running fast. The sensation came to me in dreams. I also dreamed of running smack dab into brick walls or over cliffs, but that is another issue.

Starting to run was easy. I told my trainer I would do it and we used the treadmill to get going. Just running 5 minutes on the treadmill was a big deal back then. Run 5 minutes and walk for a couple. Then repeat. Slowly longer run times.

I’ll spare you all the incremental details, but eventually I got outside and ran. Just a half mile or less at first. Working my way up and realizing my body could do it. This was in combination with my ongoing cardio and strength training, so running benefitted from my other activities.

Now that a few years have passed and I have run multiple races, I look back in wonder at all the time spent not running. Now my goals are to shave time off my races and to build better endurance. I think about running in my off time and plan my approach to a race or to training. I care about my gear, perhaps a bit too much (but, I tell myself and my wife that it is cheaper than golf).

I became a runner and it reminded me that I can grow and change at any age. There are no barriers to achievement and it is never too late to push myself in new and interesting directions. Being a runner is real, but it is also a metaphor for being able to change anything about myself.

What’s your metaphor for changing your life?

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Go have that Whopper

Low fat diet does not cut health risks.

Of course, watching calories is always a good thing. Skip the chicken strips as an appetizer (or “appeteaser” as crappy chain restaurants sometimes call them).

Weight for this…

One of the downsides to loving food and drink is that sometimes you can love it too much. In fact, you can have such a intimate and joyful relationship that it never wants to leave; instead it leaves traces around your waist and in your legs and your face…. Yes, the potential always exists that the food lover can start carrying around a bit too much weight.

Such is the curse of being a sensualist. Indulgence requires some penance, or so we are lead to believe. Whether true or not, the reality is that as I age I find myself fighting an ongoing battle with my fine caloric friends.

It should be noted, however, that I have a truly obsessive personality and that I grow fearful over the slightest things (e.g., the fact that my left eye has more trouble opening in the morning than my right has convinced me that I have had a “micro stroke” (if such a thing existed) and a few key blood vessels have been damaged.) However, I have maintained a healthy balance with my weight over the past few years. This comes after some medicine induced weight gain several years ago that I had to shed through a long period of very diligent eating and exercise.

Ok, I will cut to the chase here. I am comfortable at my weight of 181 lbs and really don’t feel or look overweight. My clothes all fit; in fact. some are loose. I eat well and exercise regularly. My wife thinks I look just fine. I often believe her.

The infamous Body Mass Index (BMI) says I should way less than 170 lbs in order to be considered “normal”. I know that the BMI is a broad generalization that does not take many factors into consideration and should be used as a rough guide, not a precise calibration tool. But, I obsess.

I decided today that I am going to bring my weight down to 169 lbs by 12/31/05. I am doing this only because I can’t stand the thought of being considered “overweight” according to some chart that has minimal validity.

At 169 pounds, most of my clothing will probably not fit anymore. That means lots of trips to Nordstrom’s, not a bad deal benefit. It also means that I might come away looking a bit gaunt. But, I will have my ego intact, if not inflated.

I will be using a very special, cutting edge diet. If you are reading this, please note that I will likely be writing a best-selling book on this technique, so get it now while still free. I can’t claim to have invented this diet, but will certainly attempt to popularize it.

Norman’s Amazing Weight Loss Program:

• Eat less
• Eat better
• Exercise more
• Drink in moderation
• Reduce stress
• Wear sunscreen

Ok, the last element is just plain common sense.

You heard it here first, so please refer your friends to this blog for the full details.

I will keep everyone updated between now and the end of the year on my progress.

Also, during this same time period I will be raising my IQ by 20 pts and earning an extra $500k. Look for details on those programs soon.

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