Losing Weight

Exercise

After a cruise, a move, and multiple busy life events I have been more tired the last few weeks. Unfortunately, I have started to notice my pants are fitting a little bit too tight. My shirts are similar, and the scale is reading a number that I worked so hard to drop. About this time last year, I read a number on the scale that was similar to my father while I was growing up and I just couldn’t believe it. 220 pounds. After that I started to increase my exercise amounts while also being more mindful of eating and with marathon training, I was able to drop 24 pounds to 196 at my lowest in a couple of years. The holidays hit and the number started to increase, the marathon happened, and I had no reason to train anymore. I have since continued to gain weight and now weigh almost 210 pounds. Like I said, the stomach has been able to show that significantly.

How can I get back on track? I noticed with a goal I was able to remain consistent no matter what. Each week I would run a long run on top of one to two shorter runs during the week. With how slow I was running it would take a big chunk out of my day, but I want to know if I could push myself to go quicker. I planned on taking a year off of training, but I feel like I’m losing a chunk of my life not doing it. Running was one of the most peaceful activities I have done. A way to enter a state of peace all while working towards a goal and staying in shape. It is pretty much guaranteed that I will do the run in 2027 where I am hoping I can run at a four-hour pace. A huge goal to cut my time in half from my first marathon. The training was fun watching myself improve and the final mile was an emotional one for me. All my hard work compiling into this huge moment of completing a goal. If I shave time to a 10-minute mile pace I could spend much less time training. I might even just try and do a full marathon elsewhere. A race an hour away is $138 to participate. Maybe I give that one a try. My family won’t be there so that will be hard to see but I just NEED the goal to really spark a fire in me.

I am mulling my options over. Seeing which one could be the best for me. I really like the one in November, it is six months away. A perfect time to start training for time improvement.

In other activities I am now 15 minutes away from pickleball courts to start going to it again. This was always one of my favorite things to do but I just haven’t started it back up again. I am going to start soon. Hopefully tonight but right now I am so tired that I don’t think it is probable tonight. Even my brain is a bit all over the place today, while I am writing this.

Bike rides can also be on the horizon with how many parks and trails we have close to us. It is going to be so much fun to explore the different exercise options.

Golf is already an option, once every other week and that has been fun to explore. It gives me some outdoor time and steps in while improving at a task. I am still running through the possibilities and maybe just need some time to step away and really think about what I should do. A pickleball tournament is also a goal of mine and training for a marathon plus a pickleball tournament doesn’t seem fun. A great way to push myself but difficult to pull off. I already have so many things on my plate it doesn’t seem ideal to add anything else.

So, the plan is to work on marathon training to lose some weight before pickleball tournament training. This will allow me to always have something to train for. Always be maintaining great shape and improve in life. Furthermore, I am planning on going to pickleball tonight and also making a small little pickleball training area in my garage. To shadow pickle ball. How high is the pickleball net. How far away is the kitchen line from the net and work on my dinks. The kitchen is 7 feet long and the net is 34 inches in the middle or 3 feet on the sides. That I can work on.   

I am asking a few of my buddies to do a marathon with me to try and get a bunch of people to do it so I’m not alone while I run. I’m excited for this chapter to begin. The running chapter took way too long to start but I enjoyed it so much I can’t just give up on it. It is a wonderful hobby to have. A great way to lose some pounds while doing something fun and pushing yourself.