Why Not?

Hi I am Matt

I am 45-years-old and I am in the process of rebuilding my life after a very long three year period where I made some really dumb decisions. In no particular order:

1. Got divorced after 18 years of marriage.

2. Got terminated from great job that I loved with great pay.

3. Started a restaurant, it failed

4. Lost all my money that I had been saving since age 22 (see #3)

5. Gained 25 pounds and not I am terribly out of shape.

In July I moved from Pittsburgh where I have live all my life to Oxford, Ohio. In that time I was able get a great new job, find an apartment and begin to start rebuilding my life. My stress level is dramatically decreased and I happy most of the time. Unfortunately I have mirrors in the new apartment. I also have a lot of time to fill because it is me out here by myself.

It is pretty bad when every morning you wake up, look in the mirror and say to yourself, boy you look like crap. But more than that I felt like crap. I am 5'10" and 208 pounds, I have that mid-aged buldging tummy, and absolutely no muscles what so ever. I get tired climbing a set of stairs. Second, I am bored. I know few people in the small town where I live. You can only watch so many movie and eat so many wings--Actually I have not reached a limit on either of those. LOL

Anyway, I decided I needed a goal. Something to shoot for to get back in shape and at the same time fill the vast amounts of time I have. I decided to begin getting in shape and training to run the ****'s Sporting Goods PIttsburgh Half-Marathon.

The longest I have ever run was a 5 mile race when I was 19-years-old. I have since run about six 5Ks. I can't imagine running more than a 5K at this time. I have never picked up a weight in my life, ok maybe one or two, but I always thought they were better used as paperweights or to prop something up than for physical fitness.

Choosing to run a half marathon is so far beyond my comfort zone that I cannot imagine "running" the entire way. Everyone who does run has told me don't worry about your time, just complete the race. Well that I am not worried about.. I have seen the maximum time allowed to walk it and I can do that. Earlier this summer I went on a "Batton Death March" hike with my son for Boy Scouts where we did a 63 mile hike carrying a 55 pound pack in the Adarondack Mountains over 8 days. No I want to not only finish, but I want to do it in under 2:15.

So that's my main goal. I have outlined a number of other goals from now until race day on May 6, 2012. Among them is to weigh 175 pounds when the starter pistol sounds. To build my cardio vascular capacity up to allow me to run 13.1 miles. I would like to be toned in terms of muscles, not bulk up--that's not me. But I would like to work on my abs.

I joined LA Fitness because they have a facility that is close and hired a trainer for three months to help set a program for me. He will not work with me full time but will help design a program and then meet with me 6 times per month. I am also working with a friend who is a fitness nut and she has helped design a great diet plan for me.

I love to cook so I don't as much look at is a diet, simply changing the way that I eat. Salt and soda will be the hardest to give up. Cheese too. Veggies are not my friend, compared to wings. And it's the little things like butter, sauces and particular dish I should not eat that I am sure will cause fits for me.

My Start Date was last Wednesday, September 21 and I am a week into this. I am tired but I feel good. So we'll see how things go. Check out my blog every Wednesday to see how I am doing and experience with me the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.