Who’s With Me?

I’ve been reading Jason Powell’s blog for a while now and have finally, after reading some back posts, become convinced that I need to do something about my weight and general lack of fitness.

At the grand young age of 44 I don’t feel unfit but there are times I can’t do what I want and there are certainly times when my two youngest want me to play more than I physically can. But because I do a lot of walking and because (or so I keep convincing myself) I’m not doing too badly I’ve put off any form of serious exercise.If you exclude exercise then I don’t lead an unhealthy lifestyle. I eat properly and not too much. I eat at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day, I drink plenty of fluids, etc, but my weight is above what it should be and I know in my heart that I’m not as fit as I could be. And the major factor in my overweightness (I know, I know ..) is my lack of exercise. It started when I passed my driving test with my bike going into mothballs and I haven’t looked back, until now.

So yesterday I started the One Hundred Pushups (we call them press ups in the UK) Challenge. I was never one for being able to do many, but I recall as a teenager getting into a competition against friends and doing 40+ in exactly a minute. Well, the challenge starts with an initial test or I guess you could call it an initial yardstick of where one is at. Of the seven levels I’m on level 1, which doesn’t surprise the re-awakened me.

Diets don’t work for me or should I say ‘lifestyle changes’ - at least not long term as in reality (as I’ve already said) my problem is not in what goes in, it is in what I don’t do. So as soon as the reduced calorie aspect of the process ends the weight goes back on. I don’t exercise, but I’m a social animal and going to the gym and pumping iron was never my thing and it also isn’t a social thing – unless you’re a serious bodybuilding type. The other two things I loved were my bike and swimming – unfortunately as I work shifts (yes it is 3am as I type this) daily or regular sessions in the pool are not easy and opening hours here make it even harder.

As for my bike, I still love it, but I don’ exercise with it anymore. I go out with the children, I socially bike, I stick to the flat where I can or I make excuses to get off and help one of the children. It isn’t exercise! And I used to love MTB’ing and here in Wales we have some of the best terrain in the world for it.

So, I don’t recall how I came across the 100 Pushups site, but as soon as I saw it something inside me clicked and my whole being just said “yes, I can do that” – and so here I am. Publicly declaring myself and letting others in Church IT land know about the challenge. Once I’ve completed the challenge – 6 weeks minimum depending on how one progresses – I intend to keep a maintenance mode of that going and start on the lower half by getting back on my bike.

That requires two things … I need to change my MTB tyres (they’re getting old and probably perishing anyway) to more road going ones and I need to dig out my rolling road – the weather here is never very conducive to biking and I don’t want the weather to be an excuse so I’ve made space in my garage (yes already) and will get back on it.

Who’s with me?