Finding My Way Back

During the day I didn't move around as much as I should have in order to make this diet work.  So, I made up for it tonight.  After the kids were in bed, I took Houston, our very hyperactive Basset hound (yes, there is such a thing!) for a walk.  I figure it was about two miles.  Houston is actually more tired than I am at the moment!

I remember when I used to be able to run six miles and not think twice about it.  Now I'm excited about walking two miles!  Things are going to change.

Tomorrow we clean out the garage.  In addition to getting my work area set up, I also want to get my weight bench set up, and the treadmill cleaned up and operating so I don't have to torture my dog when I want a workout (although he enjoyed the walk; we'll have to do it more often).  I have a lot of things in mind for when I do get into shape.  Here's a list of goals of mine:

1. Get involved with martial arts again.  I know at my age I don't have high odds of becoming the next Chuck Norris, but I liked the way I was able to handle myself when I was active.  Years ago, when I was a junior in college, I was confronted by some drunken frat boys in an isolated area.  I had studied wrestling, judo, and karate in two different schools (goju-ryu and shotokan) at that point.  There were five or six of them; one of them charged me and I took him down without a problem, then stood off the rest of them until they backed down.  That was my high water mark, and while I really don't anticipate another situation like that I would like to know that I could handle it if one did happen.  Maybe my kids will be interested as well and we can make it a family activity!
2. Improve my upper body strength.  It probably is sufficient for my needs but relative to my body mass it seems really, really weak.  Reducing my body mass will eliminate that impression but I have always wanted to be stronger.  It's not as critical a need as when I was still involved in field operations at work (and had to lift and carry 50 pounds repetitively on a regular basis, sometimes a LOT more) but it's never a bad thing.  Especially now that my son is becoming athletic (something I will definitely encourage him to keep up!)  I can't expect him to do chin-ups or push-ups if I can't do them myself.
3. Participate with my son in sporting events, helping to coach him and guide him.  His baseball team needs volunteers but I just don't feel comfortable doing that right now.  A coach should be a role model as well as a leader and teacher...and a fat slob like me ain't that.  Again, the window for me to go to the Olympics has probably come and gone a couple of decades ago, but that's okay: I just want to be able to ride herd on some Little Leaguers.
4. Ride my bike...as in really ride it.  Again in my early twenties I used to ride my 10-speed to and from weight training, getting my cardio in while saving gas and parking fees.  But that was only about 20 miles round trip.  I'd like to do better than that.  Specifically, my church has a cycling club that I'd like to get involved in; they race competitively and if I'm going to wear bike shorts I bloody well want to look like someone who should be allowed outside in them!
5. Going beyond that, I want to do the Spartan Race at some point...I want to do the whole cycle, in fact.  I read about a man who lost 400 pounds and completed all the races in one year!  I have to lose considerably less than that, so I'm at least ahead of him. ;-)
6. And if I can do all of that, I should be able to wear anything I want.  I'm picturing a medium-gray suit with matching tie, or a replica WWII bomber jacket like I wore when I was younger (I still have the same jacket around, but my shoulders have broadened so even if I lost the weight I couldn't even get that one on).  For casual wear, a good pair of Western boots, once a staple of my wardrobe.
7. As far as wearing things goes, I want to do science fiction costuming on a serious basis.  I don't want to look like some fanboy who knocked something together in his mother's basement; if I do this I want to look good.  Right now the only character I have the right to cosplay is Jabba the Hutt. I have three or four ideas in mind.  And the quality of the body wearing the garb is as important as the workmanship.  We've all seen the stereotype on TV; I don't need to beat that one further into the ground.

These are my goals.  Some are practical, some are far-reaching, a couple are silly.  But they're mine.  I'm taking this diet as an opportunity to explore myself more thoroughly.  A lot of damage has been done and I don't just want to get back what I lost, I want to exceed it!