Per ardua ad astra

[PerArduaAdAstra]

2014 has been a pretty sucky year for the most part and it was capped off perfectly a couple of weeks ago when I turned 30. That was a tough milestone psychologically, not least because circumstances have meant that most of my friends are in their late teens and early 20's and by Odin's eye patch do they make me feel old.   

 

I've managed to stay fairly active in recent years. I practice Judo (badly) and spend a lot of time hiking and scrambling in the hills and valleys of Britain, but despite this, my waistline has been steadily spreading and now I'm faced with a choice: Do I take the battle to the bulge? Or do I wave a white flag made out of clothes that no longer fit and accept that my fate is to become a fat middle aged man? It is that choice that has brought me here, because I find I'm not quite ready to give up the fight. 

 

I know where my problems lie and I know how to address them, but I've been struggling with the chasm between theory and practice. Eating well seems pretty simple, but then I walk past a vending machine in the middle of the afternoon and gain an understanding of how Greek sailors felt when they heard the Siren's song. So I'm hoping that you, my brothers and sisters in rebellion will provide the support and accountability I need to bridge that gap and follow through on what have been, until now, unspoken and empty promises. 

 

My goals are simple, I need to drop 20 lbs of excess baggage and I'd like to get stronger, particularly from the waist up - I'm pretty sick of being out-muscled on the mat by people 50 lbs lighter than me.  

 

So yeah - per ardua ad astra - through adversity to the stars. Time to get flying.