Movember -- Day 5

Training

Believe it or not, I work out a lot.  I know you don't believe me and I don't blame you.  

It's obvious I am not in optimal shape and I talk about food/booze more than my kids**.  But I am susceptible to periods of inactivity which always seem to be accompanied by poor food intake.  Note that I talk about these things like the weather -- it's something that just happens.  All I can do is wear a raincoat (or a bib).

And by "poor food intake", I don't mean shoving coleslaw up my nose.  It's sandwiches on white bread accompanied by chips.  Or late night ice cream (I'll see both Jerry and Ben in hell).  If I'm going to the gym, I'm unwilling to throw it away by eating junk -- but I have enough 1-3 week absences throughout the year to ensure I never really get to my optimal weight and shape.  I do particularly well if I have a specific goal (hitting the gym 35 times during Lent, e.g., to hang on to that last shred of undeserved Catholicism).  So I decided I needed something that would last a little longer than my "Look, Ma -- no alcoholism" 6 weeks every Spring.  Training for a marathon seemed like a commitment.
{waiting....
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.....}
{done laughing now?}

I know, I know.  We both know I'm not ever running a marathon.  But I admire the commitment (if not the insanity) of the people who do this.  And, of course, this is the poor-man's Everest.  More and more people are putting this on their list of things to do.  Since I'm not one of them, I decided maybe following their preparation schedule (with a lot less emphasis on the running).  Apparently I need a 22-week prep (I am a resolute beginner at running).  To make up for the lack of distance, I will substitute other cardio.  Knowing my road speed (molasses in February), I can calculate the accelerated heart rate time.  And I will add in (or continue, more accurately) weight lifting.

I have made hard commitments before only to disappoint myself (or others...like the things I said to get Donna to marry me), so I am trying to be realistic here.  I am committing to one thing and one thing only: I will write down my intake and exercise every day.  I will try on the food, try more on the exercise and aim for consistency.  But I will slip and skip (the bad Muldoon cha cha).

I will, though, write down everything I do every day.  It's a self-humiliation factor.  If you'd like to join in on the humiliation -- and I know that you do -- you can follow my as EdMuldoon on http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ .  It's ok...apparently I need a little abuse from time to time...


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**-This isn't true.  Unless you're talking about a single malt.  Most of them are more interesting than my kids.  Or a first growth Bordeaux.