Running man runs

[ericbikes]

Last year on Christmas Day, my family gathered around the tree for a group picture. When I saw the thumbnail on the back of the camera, I thought, "Wow, I've put on a few pounds." When my sister sent me an 8x10 a few weeks later, I was horrified. That 34 year-old had gained more than a "few pounds." 

Of course, I didn't really need a picture to tell me that. I had been feeling awful lately. Tired and burned-out, I had gotten into the bad habit of stress eating. While my doctor didn't seem to think 185 pounds at 6'1" was a problem, the jiggle I felt as I walked said otherwise. I knew something had to change.

So I signed up for a half-marathon five months away. I also started counting calories using Sparkpeople.com and followed a modified Paleo diet. Despite the fact that I was focused on eating the right foods to maximize my training and not to lose weight, on race day I had dropped 20 pounds. I can't tell you how good that felt.

After the race, I decided to keep running. I found that I actually enjoyed running 40-60 minutes a day. It was wonderful. I love nothing more than waking up at 5am and taking off in the dark for an hour. On days that I can't run, I really miss it.

 

A few months ago, however, I read about the horrors of visceral fat -- something that even "skinny" people could have. Even though I was skinnier than before, I still had a ways to go. I cut back on the calories so I could chip away at that pregnant, jiggly belly. Now, 9 months later, I'm down almost 30 pounds to 157. I love running more than ever, but I'm finding that I'm starting to feel weak and tired all the time again. And I still have a slight "baby bump." Not cool for a guy.

After reading through the Nerd Fitness website a few times, I though that maybe I should add strength training to my regimen. I signed up for a fitness assessment at the YMCA, where the trainer showed me how to use the free-weights. Unfortunately, he encouraged me to start with waaay too much weight on the bar, and my first time solo, I unexpectedly failed while bench pressing and got stuck under the bar. Fortunately, there was a dude working out behind me who gave me a hand (I think he knew I was going to fail before I did). It was scary and embarrassing. I left the weight room and never went back.

However, I'm still interested in burning that last little bit of fat while also getting stronger. Until I work through some self-confidence issues about the gym, I'm going to start some body-weight training at home.

Anyway, that's my story. I'm looking forward to getting to know all the folks on this message board.