I just realized that this sounds like I have a dreaded disease. So you should know I’m fine. The premise of this post is totally self congratulatory.
So I’ve worked out three times a week for the past 3 months. While the scale hasn’t gone down all that much, I’ve gotten so much stronger. When I started out I couldn’t lift the bar with no weights on it. Now, I’m benching 165lbs. I’m squatting 175lbs.
When I started I couldn’t run a block. Now I’m doing crawlers (treadmill runs with the treadmill off and a resistance band tied around my waist at full speed with burly trainer guy holding us back). I’m down nearly 20 lbs., and now that I’m dieting, that number should drop much further.
The younger students are impressed by “the old guy” and I jokingly yell at them when I’m trailing them during laps. They’ll slack off and I’ll begin to catch them and I’ll yell “Pat, don’t let me catch you.” I know I can’t catch them (yet!) but that yell pushes them to not slack off. I often get a “way to go” from some of the “athletes” when I give them that extra push. I outran a guy half my age on the treadmill the other day and that made me feel pretty good. I remember getting a little cocky and said, “I can do this ALL day. Let’s move it!” to one of my younger companions.
My trainer, Ben, really motivates me and has a lot of positive energy. We’ve got a nice little “community” going now where we all push and support one another–students, faculty and staff alike.
But more importantly, I feel great. My diet is 90% better and I’m starting to drop more pounds and add lean muscle. My shoulders have expanded and my waist is smaller. I’m disappointed when the workout is disrupted and looking for ways to stay active.
More importantly, when I’m feeling down, as I was today, working out releases those endorphins and totally picks up my mood.
So if you’ve been thinking of working out, well, go to it. Find some time. I do the early mornings and it starts the day out right. Thanks to Ben Woods, the world’s greatest trainer for getting me back to health and soon back to a target weight.
Oh by the way, just about everyone I know has gotten sick this year. Not once, for me.
It’s also time for prayer when it’s all over. “Thank God it’s over” is what we all say after Ben’s monster workouts. But it’s gotten me to see that there’s grace in being healthy and that taking care of the temple allows us to stay around a bit longer and make a difference for others and our world. So today, say a prayer for the strength to get healthy and to feel a bit better. And may we take all that energy and go out and make a difference for others.
Here’s a recent snip. A bit pixelated but you’ll get the idea.
Bad knees and all. Thanks, Ben.