Once A Runner…

The Road Back So Far (Week Three)

I did my longest walk this week, 4.5 miles, and my knees didn’t give me a whole lot of trouble. Today, in fact, there were only a couple of times they gave me any trouble at all during a 3.6-mile walk. I’m beginning to think that they’re becoming accustomed to the increased activity, but I’m not about to jump the gun and try jogging a bit yet. It’s still a little too soon, as my first week attempts clearly proved.

I’m down to about 189 pounds. Not enough to be rid of the “spare tire” around the middle at all, but enough for people to tell me they can tell I’ve lost some weight — they mostly say they can tell it first in my face. This is good news, in my opinion, because losing it anywhere is progress. Still, 189 pounds is 16 pounds over the line into “overweight” for me, so I have a lot more work to do. The problem spots — including my paunch — will eventually get in line over time, so there’s no rush. Build muscle, continue to eat the way I have been, and stick to the walking — eventually start running, I hope — and those problem spots will get taken care of.

As I’ve said before, the main emphasis right now is to get my weight down to where I can run again, without injuring myself by forcing my knees to try to bear my overweight butt around sooner than they’re ready. So, just getting my weight down some is good enough for right now. More will come off when I can run again. Patience and perseverance, remember? Yeah, the keys to getting there. I remind myself constantly.

I’ve read that if you start anything and keep doing it for 21 days straight, you turn it into a habit. Well, I’ve been at this diet for nearly a week more than that and with the walking for just over three weeks. The getting up at the crack of dawn is still a bit troublesome, but I can easily manage getting the walk in later even on those days when I just don’t feel up to springing out of the bed with the alarm clock’s urgent nagging. I guess I could be a bit better about going to bed at a regular time and waking up for the morning walk on time. That would require nothing more than just forcing myself to do that and maintain it for the fabled 21 days straight, right? Okay, that goes on the list, right after the strength-training routine. I’ve got to get settled into that first, I think, because that’s going to help at least as much with the weight loss and improving my general fitness.

So, yeah, the walking has become something of a habit, and I’m glad of it. The wife not only accepts that I have to get a walk in daily, but she expects it by now and even helps by shifting things around to help me to accommodate getting out and doing it. Support like that is always a great help and very welcome, of course.

Anyway, I can look back now on three weeks of doing myself some good. I’m definitely feeling much better. I’m starting to look better — well, more fit than I was at any rate. When I can start to motor about a bit more intensely, even just jogging, I expect there will be more dramatic changes. Hey, it took me years to get this far out of shape. I reckon I can spare as many months — even years if necessary — as it takes to get myself straightened out again.

I’m still a very long way from joining my brother, Darrell, in running the Cowtown 10K next February, but a little closer than I was a month ago to be sure. Patience and perseverance.