I Want To Earn It

[Bedouin Mariner]

Hello everyone.  To tell you about myself, I'll tell you about my name:

 

Bedouin:  Not ethnically so, but my life has some resemblance.  I live in the desert. I frequently move on to new opportunities; a modern nomad.  And I appreciate the importance of poetry, music, and dance.

 

Mariner: I'm a sailor and have been on the water since a child.  Sailing and kayaking bring me to a rare state of peace and satisfaction.

 

I love being both on the water and surrounded by rocky/sandy terrain.  Or hiking through cacti and boulders to see, from the top of the mountain, a shimmering lake.  An oasis.  The heat.  The colors at sunset.  Dry and wet.  It's all one beautiful contrast.

 

Fitness Past:

 

I'm a fairly lucky guy.  I respond well to exercise and diet, and generally see results early on, regardless of whether I'm trying to lose weight or gain muscle.  I have no health or medical issues and can play sports well enough.  But this has made me lazy.

 

I'm now getting older, and my ability to transform my body quickly is waning.  Muscles now ache and I get winded earlier than ever.  While physical activities came naturally in the past, now is the time where the rubber meets the road.  For me, this isn't so much about my body.  I'm here to transform my mind.  My will.  The motivation to push and struggle and achieve, even when it's not easy.  Looking forward, here's what I've got:

 

Assets:

• Supportive friends.  My friends are active physically and, unlike me, they started out of shape and overweight and have worked hard to earn where they are today.
  
• Gym.  I'm a member of a local gym with quality owners and excellent resources that I haven't even fully tapped into.
  
• Confidence.  I've been in locker rooms and on playing fields before, and I'm comfortable exercising with others around.
  

 

Obstacles:

• Donuts and pie.  Seriously.  ("My kingdom for a cruller!!")
  
• Roommates.  They're good people, but they're commitment to health is more along the lines of "we're all going to die, so might as well eat what I want while I'm here."  House is filled with junk food and they'll prepare burgers or pizza for dinner (which I can either accept, or spend time making my own meal).
  
• Schedule.  Work and other responsibilities keep me very busy.  And I have to travel a lot.  Several times a month.  I've learned to eat healthy on the road, but it's tough to workout when exhausted from travelling and the suitcase needs to be unpacked, laundry done, etc.
  

I'll be joining the current challenge, halfway through, and will have my goals and motivations posted there.  For now, I'll say that this nomad is setting up his tent in the Rebellion's camp.  There's no time like right now.