Fat Man Running: Why It Matters

I've always tried to approach my prior efforts at fitness with a vague sense of "hey, just go get healthy" as my main goal. That kind of happy ephemeral thinking has resulted, for the most part, in a big cup of nothing for my end results. I need something lurking over me and threatening to kick my ass to make me really work for it. When I had a 5K on my calendar last year, I did the work to get ready for it. I wasn't going to let myself fail miserably at an event I'd paid to participate in. So, after a couple of weeks of quasi-dedicated warm-up workouts, it was time to set some real goals and make a plan for the year. I immediately regret and embrace my decisions.

I'm booking myself into three events over the next eight months that I will require me to get serious about running and the gym or will make me look like a big fat jackass in the process. You're all my accountability buddies, so I hope you're ready for that challenge.

Event 1: Four Courts Four Miler on March 10. I'm not entirely sure I'll run through this whole thing. I can pretty much guarantee you that I'll be walking at least a mile of it. I also roped my girlfriend into running this one with me, which means I'll probably be single by the end of March 10. But, we both needed something on the calendar and this one made sense. I would have preferred a 5K to the extra mile of this event, but I feel good about it and know I can handle it. Like all the events I've got lined up, my goal is just to finish and get a gauge of where I'm at rather than about times. I'm perfectly happy with eleven minute miles or worse.

Event 2: Warrior Dash on May 20. This should be a great challenge and will be my baseline for my third event that won't come until four months later. I wasn't planning on this one, but I think I'm going to need it to get my body ready for...

Event 3: Tough Mudder on September 9. I see no way in which this doesn't kill me. 11 miles. Ridiculous physical challenges. Eight months probably isn't enough time to get ready, but we're gonna hope and pray it is. I've got a great team of people doing this with me who aren't going to let me fail. I'm registered and my boss (who signed me up!) is going to be after me every day until September 9th to watch how I eat and talk about my workouts.

I'm horrified of how hard I know I need to work this year, but I needed some events on the calendar and I needed solid goals in front of me. I don't want to embarrass myself at these events and I don't want to keep this unhealthy body. I joked about staying ahead of Wilfred Brimley in my first article, but I'm very serious about how much that scares me. It's rampant in my family. My parents are diabetic, although neither developed until late in life. My sister has been diabetic her whole life for the most part. She's had the foot problems that come with it, which have gotten much worse recently, and there's a chance she might actually lose a foot very soon. That scares the shit out of me. I don't want that. I can't let that happen to me. I've still got a choice and I'm choosing to run and make a change.

Last week was the end of my two weeks of easing back into a routine. The runs start getting longer this week, but not to the point where I'm going to overdo it. This is too important. If I feel a tweak, I'm slowing down and walking it out, but moving as much as I can without making it worse. It's been amazing to see the support we're all giving to each other here. I love seeing ParadigmShift getting after it. I love seeing the people I know on Twitter getting ready to do the same. We've got this.

And, FYI, I had a great run to start the week. A nice 1.5 mile loop around my neighborhood with a solid pace. I wanted to go a little longer, but it was what I needed on a chilly Monday night. Really looking forward to the next eight months of ass kicking.