For those wondering, I have picked up the Facebook domain “kcgatsby” in an effort to continue to expand the kcgatsby brand. Even though I no longer live in Kansas City and no one gets the Gatsby references I am going to stick with this domain in every form. So thanks Facebook for providing me with yet another domain that I will quickly forget about. Facebook: Reminding you daily why you lost touch with people in the first place.
(And please, for the love of God, stop telling me about what is happening in your game of Mafia Wars. No one cares. Unless there is real violence and / or strippers involved no one ever will care.)
So there was a lot of interest in my discussion on my great need to lose weight. Several people stated that I should have a goal besides losing twenty pounds and finally getting to a weight that is deemed “healthy” by the medical establishment. I am definitely keeping that goal but others would be useful. One suggestion was that I train for a mini-triathlon. I am going to have to shoot down that idea because a) I haven’t ridden a bike in twenty five years and b) I try to avoid any sporting competition where I am at risk of drowning. (This reminds me, did anyone ever figure out last year if there actually are lifeguards at the Olympic swimming venue? That is my biggest unanswered question from Beijing.) While I have the utmost respect for people who compete in triathlons I am not going to be one of them.
My best goal would be to run in a 5K, run being the optimal term. I do put in 5K on the treadmill on a regular basis. On Saturday I did it in 45:30 (horribly bad), late last fall I broke 40 minutes (more respectable) and my all time best back when I was nineteen was about 28 minutes. My goal would be to simply beat my age. Run a 35 or 36 minute 5K which would mean 12 minute miles which would mean I would have to jog the entire way. It is not a huge goal and I would certainly love to break 30 minutes but it is one that I could accomplish without damaging my joints too badly. That is one of the problems with some of these goals: I have such a history of injury that I have to be careful about precisely what I do.
That leaves diet as my next area of focus and dear God have I gotten bad at that lately. Mainly in that I have been snacking like a madman and that is probably the biggest reason behind my weight gain. There is an easy solution to that though as I am the one in charge of my grocery shopping, cooking and overall food intake. This does mean an end to the Hostess food group (as well as its less popular twin, Dolly Madison) and I will start having to eat things like salads. Yet it is what I have to do.
Anyway, next question to the blogosphere. What do you think is the best way to start back up in an exercise routine? Especially when you are forced to spend much of your day stuck behind a computer and have an hour long commute to deal with it? Until then, have a Happy Bloomsday. “and yes I said yes I will Yes.”
2 comments:
How to start? You have a workout room in your apartment complex. Hire a personal trainer to come over for a few sessions. You'd be surprised, it can actually be a lot cheaper than what it costs at the club because at the club the house takes half (or more) of what you pay. You can find ads in the newspaper or on craigslist. At the club, you can't just outright ask for it within earshot of the front desk or management since it might violate an agreement with their employer but if you mention you'd like to schedule some sessions at home you can usually get an email address and a phone number and go from there. (If you substitute the word 'dancer' for 'trainer' this sounds much more interesting)
How to stick with a routine? A couple strategies. 1. Make a commitment to a 5K now. You can't change that date that's x weeks off in the future, you can only hope for rain. If you otherwise don't show up then you just paid $30 for a t-shirt that by wearing perpetuates a lie. 2. Set attainable and measurable intermediate and ultimate goals. I don't have to tell you about the importance of this. It's not like you majored in marketing. (burn!) 3. Escalate your financial commitment. Pour money on the problem. At some point you will have bought enough workout gear that you will start to use it otherwise it will just piss you off that you wasted that much money. Seriously, at least invest in a good pair of running shoes. Go to a specialty store and not a big box sports store and get properly fitted for your foot type and gait by someone who knows what they are talking about.
And no more Ring Dings.
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