« The "X" Stands For Xtra Stupid | Main | Back Soon »
January 22, 2006
Get Fit Or Die Tryin'
FoM (that's "Friend of Mudge" for those playing along at home) Corey laid down a challenge a while ago that I said I would respond to... and then of course promptly got nowhere close to responding to. In a post last week, he laid out a challenge to his readers to join the Discovery.com Body Challenge 2006. I signed up... I don't have any expectations whatsoever that this challenge will have any impact at all -- it relies on "meal plans," which are totally unrealistic with the lifestyle of just about everyone I know; who the hell do they think has time to follow meal plans and spend 30 minutes or more cooking every day? But even if I don't follow their little program, Corey's done a good thing by challenging his readers to get fitter in 2006, and I intend to join him.
Frankly, I hate exercising. Always have. Even when I was in playing ball or in the Navy and in my peak condition, I hated working out; I just wanted to go play ball. That fabled "runners high" or endorphin release just has never happened with me, at any point in my life; it's never felt good. By now, all exercise does for me is make my bad knee and bad back ache, and make me uncomfortably sweaty. Far from "getting the juices flowing" and energizing me for the day, it just wears me out and makes it that much harder to get through the day and do the stuff I need to do. I hate the gym like I hate the Yankees or brussels sprouts.
But being a former ballplayer and moderately good athlete, having ballooned into Marlon Brandoesque territory is hard for me to accept... it has a severe impact on my self-image and self-confidence. And in the last six months especially, my body has been rebelling angrily at my lack of discipline and legitimate lack of time (damn high-stress, long-hours desk job!) for any of this junk (thankfully, my latest test results came back and they have finally proclaimed that I'm going to be fine...). So I know I have no choice this year... I have to do it. I resent the hell out of having to go, which makes my already sour mood about working out in general turn even more fierce. So the only way I'm going to actually go through with this !@*#%!@ thing is if folks like Corey turn it into a competition -- because the only thing I hate worse than the gym is losing.
Doc and Tim have run marathons in the past in both Chicago and New York; they have periodically made noises about running another one. I'm not ever going to be a marathon runner; between surgically repaired knees and the fact that even with 8% body fat I'd still weigh 210 pounds (big-boned ain't just an excuse, kids... some of us were born to be large people even when thin), I just don't have the physiology to run 26.2 miles. However... as the Doc has pointed out, the Philadelphia Marathon has a companion 8K run every year. And I think that's something to aim for -- especially given that the run isn't till November 19.
So Doc, Tim... I'm calling you out. You guys are the marathoners, so what about running the Philly one this year? I'm committing to being in shape to do the 8K; I will run it on November 19 if it kills me. You guys are fitter'n me, but we could all stand to do some training, so what say you? As for the rest of the readers here... especially those in the east coast/northeast area... what do you say we extend that Body Challenge for the rest of the year and have a group run of that 8K race? Hell, if I can do it -- me, the 250 pounder with bad knees and an allergy to treadmills -- anyone can. Anyone in with me?
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.thechroniccurmudgeon.com/cgi-bin/mt/mtb.cgi/84
Comments
Great idea on the group run. How about a post-race party at my house? Because nothing says health-and-fitness like an after-run beer :-) OK folks, what say you?
Posted by: The SpinMD at January 22, 2006 08:12 AM
I'm in... as long as billiards, darts, alcohol and other counteractive elements are involved in the bash. ;-)
Thanks for offering up your place for the bash. Now won't it just like totally mess with your head if a dozen blog friends take you up on it?
Posted by: Curmudgeon at January 22, 2006 03:00 PM
We will run Philly this year.
My wife yelled at me this weekend for being fat and lazy. I now have more incentive.
Philly Marathon 2006......lets do it
Posted by: Marquette Hoops at January 22, 2006 03:24 PM
Dude! You got called out for being fat and lazy??? By your WIFE????
That's cold, man.
Philly it is... we got three, anyway.
Posted by: Curmudgeon at January 22, 2006 03:29 PM
I'll run circles around you turkeys... and I want to see a practice run at the JPMC Corporate Challenge in Sept.
Posted by: Erika at January 22, 2006 07:53 PM
mudge rhymes with pudge.
Posted by: thebeav at January 22, 2006 11:28 PM
Very true, that. And since some great baseball catchers have carried that nickname (Carlton Fisk, Ivan Rodriguez), it doesn't bother me.
However... you didn't answer whether you're up for the challenge or not, Beav. What say you?
Posted by: Curmudgeon at January 23, 2006 06:49 AM
Ok, we need a full roll call here. I'm already feeling lighter as we speak.
Posted by: Corey at January 24, 2006 01:12 PM
So far, Doc & Tim are in for the marathon. Erika, Corey and Christopher are in for the 8K. Beav is making lots of characteristic smart-ass comments, but has not yet committed one way or another. ;-)
Am I missing anyone?
Posted by: Curmudgeon at January 24, 2006 01:51 PM
Well guid luck to you all, I will be thinking about you as I sit in the pub sipping a cold lager and eating peanuts..:-)I hope your going to photographic evidence of it too..if you survive lol
Posted by: mcrob at January 25, 2006 05:45 AM
