"Running Commentary"
Just Like Old Times
If you’ve been following this space for any length of time, you may remember someone’s grand, self-inflated pronouncement of “Operation Assault.” A self-imposed mandate to get back in shape and lose weight.
Back to being … yep! Roy Michael.
Following my divorce in January 2019, I succumbed to my very own pity party and let myself go – physically. I didn’t run much and fed my disappointment at yet another life failure (two-time loser in marriage) by pretty much doing (and eating) whatever brought me comfort and temporary relief.
I overindulged. Big time!
My big whoop announcement may have sounded overly dramatic, but I was deadly serious – I hated Roy Michael, Edition 2019.
I’ve always been ugly – now I was FAT and ugly.
Oh sure, there was some drama involved. With 10 seconds to go until midnight, New Year’s Eve, standing alone under bright stars on a clear night at my mother’s house, I made a solemn promise to myself – I would WILL myself back to good health. I needed to return to one of my life passions – running, training and running races.
Running has always been my copilot in good health.
Fat? On New Year’s Eve, I weighed an unhealthy 220 lbs. An all-time high.
Because that was an unnatural weight for me, in the weeks that followed, the pounds came off fairly easily. I began running again in the frigid winter air.
When I lost 10 lbs. and hit 210, I was beaming with joy. And that smile grew larger when I cracked 200 and was back in the 100’s – 199! Yea!
Then came 189 … and several months later, 179.
In six months, I lost 46 lbs., reaching a healthy and fit 174. And then? A small 16 pound “catastrophe” threatened to upset my plans. In my home state of Colorado, I adopted a puppy rescued from Amarillo, Texas. Maybe you’ve heard of Boulder McGraw – the newspaper columnist?
(Sidebar: Mr. McGraw has an interesting perspective; however, has no comprehension of grammar – and he would struggle to spell cat if you spotted him the c and a. Absolutely atrocious! Perhaps we should give him a little slack – he’s not quite six months old. At that age, I couldn’t spell c-a-t either.)
All my good intentions and comfortable lifestyle changed with Boulder. Not in a bad way; but he’s like a small child, totally dependent upon yours truly for … well, everything. When I flew back to Kansas with him, he weighed 16 lbs. Since then, he’s grown faster than unmowed crab grass and weighs 40 lbs!
My little boy is growing fast. But there isn’t an ounce of fat on him. He’s truly athletic with a personality to match his split-level face – half white, half dark brindle.
Operation Assault was necessarily placed on hold. Boulder was my first priority – and the new house I purchased was priority No. 2, decorating and getting everything “just so” for the invasion of relatives who will be coming to Kansas next month for Mother’s 100th birthday – October 20th.
Did I forget my oath and solemn promise?
Naaah! Not really. Some changes were predictable. I stopped counting calories and my running and training were curtailed considerably. Accordingly, I did gain a little weight. But only three lbs. A mere smidgin.
Today, I’m at 177. That’s still 43 lbs. less than New Year’s Eve. Moreover, now that I’m settled in, I’m back on track to reach my goal of 165-ish.
I’m nothing if not optimistic. I feel great and my old clothes fit again. My waistline has shrunk from 36/38” back to 33”, with 32” within reach.
I’ll reach my goal – BEFORE New Year’s Eve.
I can do it. I can smell it!
Please don’t take any of this as boasting – I’m as weak and vulnerable as anyone; but it’s a fact that being accountable to others helps motivate us to keep going. Part of my promise in January was to keep everyone posted. Thanks for your help!
Boulder McGraw is helping too – he’s a natural and loves running on the leash. Most mornings we go for a little run. Not too far, and not too fast – Boulder’s joints won’t be fully developed for another month or so.
(Hello to the lovely and dedicated lady who lives on 6th St., whom we frequently pass in the darkness of early morning!)
I’ll close with this – the other night I couldn’t sleep. Around 4:30, I gave up. Put on my Nikes and headed to the high school track. Confident I was the only person in the world awake at that hour.
WRONG!
There was Rachel, running laps in darkness under the dim security lights. I had never met her before, but I greeted her with a cheery, “ARE YOU NUTS? Only crazy people are awake at this hour, and none of them are out here running!” She laughed.
We did a couple of laps together and quickly became old friends. A fellow crazy runner who likes to get a workout in while everyone else in town is fast asleep. Fun!
Meanwhile, in October, there’s a small 5K race in Marysville – and I plan to run it with my puppy. My youngest daughter Sara will be here and has hopes of winning a medal – and girlfriend Melissa will also be joining us.
Roy Michael is back!
Just like old times
Note: Boulder McGraw read this copy before publication and takes great exception to my comments about his “grrmmmmr an sppplling.”