I’ve been stuck for a month or so with about 5 pounds to go until my goal weight. I will drop a pound, then gain a pound. Drop a pound, then gain a pound. It’s a little frustrating but it also tells me I’m pretty much at a good weight to maintain. I have slacked some on my eating habits but still trying to make good choices in every area of my life.
I woke up this morning to a rainy Saturday. For a bit, I fought the urge to just stay home, and not do my usual Saturday workout at Planet Fitness. Thankfully reason prevailed over laziness and I readied myself for the gym.
I had really wanted to go walk on our local greenway for a few days and had planned on forgoing the gym for that walk. By the time I got ready to go to the gym it had stopped raining, although it threatened to start up again at any time. Still, I made the last minute decision to chance it. I love being outside when I can.
There are multiple entrances to our greenway here in Cleveland, TN and I drove to one of the regular spots only to find the entrance and parking lot closed. Undeterred, I moved to the next spot, and found it open. Under a grey sky I set off walking. I had forgotten my Apple watch but had my phone which would keep track of my steps. I didn’t have any idea of how far I would walk, I just wanted to be outside, even though it was a wet and chilly day.
I got into my rhythm and made my way along, opting to not even take my headphones and instead just enjoying the creek that runs beside the greenway and the occasional group of ducks out looking for worms…and the car horns, traffic, trains, etc., that are not far away. I was feeling good and “making my way downtown, walking fast…” 😉
Before I decided to turn around I had made about 2200 steps. I don’t know what the distance was but I knew I had that many steps to get back, and the sky was getting a bit darker…so I turned around and headed back.
About half way back something in my brain said “when was the last time you even attempted jogging?” I can tell you that I’m 52 and that answer definitely doesn’t start with a 5…or a 4…most likely not a 3.
I thought about it for a couple of minutes while I walked. The greenway was pretty dead given the weather, having only passed a few people the entire time.
So, I took a quick look around…and I jogged.
Have you ever seen those videos of a walruses or sea lions on the beach? How funny they look when they run? Yeah, they look like a marathon sprinter compared to me.
But I did it. I jogged.
I jogged for about 30 seconds then went back to walking. Then I thought, “Wait. Maybe I can do some more of this.” So I took another quick look around and I jogged for about 30 more seconds then went back to walking.
“That wasn’t even terrible,” I thought to myself.
It was then that I formulated a little plan. All down the greenway, every 50 feet or so, are light poles. What if I walked between one set of poles, then jogged between the next set? I could probably do that for 3 or 4 poles worth. That’d be more jogging than I’ve done in the past 20 years!
So the next pole came up and I started jogging. Then I walked. Then jogging. Then walked. As I started the next jog, I realized a very fit runner was approaching so I immediately felt awkward and slowed to walk, feeling a moment of embarrassment.
But I decided right then “who cares? I’m doing this for me, not them!” And before she passed me I was jogging again. The waddling walrus plodding his way up the greenway.
Over the next 15 minutes, I ended up doing my walk/jog combo all the way back to the truck! Was I motivated a bit by the fact it had started raining again, shortly after I started my jogging? Maybe. But that doesn’t negate the fact that I did it!
This may not sound like a lot to most people but I know where I am vs. where I came from. I’m a 52 year old guy. My knees have been worn out and needed replacing for a dozen years or more. My weight loss has bought me significant time but it doesn’t totally take away the pain, the popping, and the grinding in my knees. None of that changes the fact that I’m big guy still. I have a lot of skin sagging and jiggling everywhere. I have all the usual aches and pains of a 52 your old man.
Still. Less than 2 years ago I was more than double the weight I am now. Everything hurt. All the time. Then, walking a mere 10 feet was painful. Walking 25 feet caused me to be out of breath. The walk I did today, even 1/10 of the walk I did today, would have been out of the picture…let alone the jogging.
I was miserable then. I’m not miserable now.
I never take any of these non-scale victories for granted…I am thankful for how far I’ve come!
(note after the screenshot below I had some store errands to run and I’m currently just a shade under 8k steps)
