1: Being Unreasonable

In retrospect, when I embarked on my little fitness experiment, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I didn’t quite know where I was going – or how I was going to get there. For someone who thrives on control and order, this was a very unnerving situation. What I did know was that I needed to make a change.

So let's go back to the start...  With high hopes and the thought that I knew what I was doing, I headed to the gym to “get in shape.” Of course, I knew what I was doing! I had played sports throughout my youth and into college. I had continued to lead an active lifestyle for many years. (Note the word "had" in the last sentence -- past tense!) I had read books and magazines and talked with various people of athletic reputations. In short, I had no idea what I was doing!

Fortunately, my lack of real knowledge did not dissuade me from going to the gym and getting started. And THAT was the first major success of my journey. What I quickly discovered, however, was that without a plan and a goal, my new-found fitness kick was not likely to last very long. My first helper came in the form of a friend who happened to work at the campus rec sports center. She said, “It takes six weeks before exercising starts to become habit.” That was the perfect tidbit of advice for me. It gave me something manageable to start with -- and a goal: make it six weeks. Surely, I thought, I could stick it out for six weeks! I did, and even lost a few pounds in the process. But it felt like drudgery. After six weeks of circuits and weights and cardio, I felt like an oversized hamster just spinning my wheel. What I really needed was a swift kick in the butt and good pep talk. Thank God for my brother! He gave me a great pep talk, suggested some tools and structure that proved to be a perfect fit, and was all too happy to oblige by taking the kick.

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As I got deeper into my fitness goals and began to further modify my training routines, I decided that I needed a target to shoot for. Inspiration came through my daughter. As I was helping her practice throwing the shot put and discus, I determined that was precisely what I needed to do. I would prepare myself to compete at a Master’s track meet. And thus was born, “Jeff’s Unreasonable Midlife Fitness Challenge.”

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Before taking you down my trails of being unreasonable, I would like to leave you with an image regarding the extra weight that so many of us carry around. The next time you go to the store, find your way to the “pet supply” aisle and locate one of those plastic buckets of cat litter. They tend to be between 35 and 42 pounds.  Pick one up. How about two – one in each hand so you are balanced. Now think about carrying those around ALL DAY. When you lie down at night, perhaps you could set one on your chest, or even just half of one. Are you feeling tired and out of breath yet? That's where I was.

In the four years since I began my little fitness experiment, I have nearly set aside two of those buckets full of cat litter. According to the charts, I could still stand to lose more, but that has never been my main goal. As James Brown so aptly sang, “I FEEL GOOD!” That is my goal.  And, of course, to have fun. 


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