In the past, the now distant past I was happy to throw scorn upon joggers but things have changed and these days I’m happy putting on my runners to eat up the miles myself. My new found love for this activity stems from spending the last six months on something of a lifestyle change. Not just the kind of health kick that lasts until the next hangover but something of a re-invention of myself or at least to show people that I wasn’t just the sum of parts people thought I was made from.
This blog isn’t about me patting myself on the back for the last six months of hard graft down at the gym or on the roads (even though I often do it to myself) it’s more about trying to encapsulate the sentiment that, if I can manage it anyone can.
It would be ‘on trend’ to call it ‘My Journey’ in a Reality TV style so I’ll run with that phrase for now and it’s about as descriptive as it gets (excuse the pun mid sentence).
So, six months have now past (on my journey) and I’ve turned from an overweight nightclub owner into someone I can consider as a healthy individual who can eat up a 5 mile run in about 30 minutes. More positive about life and after some soul searching a more rounded chap with many interests beyond that of nightclubs and rock n roll.
Skipping past details about how I ended up owning a nightclub I’ll fast forward to the point of walking out of its doors for the last time, 4 stone over weight and with a 20 a day cigarette habit.
I never noticed I’d put on so much weight, got so unhealthy and looked a mess. When you run a nightclub you tend to be surrounded by people who wouldn’t tell you anyway and sleeping all day meant I was hidden from the sobering quality of daylight. I knew things had to change, not only physically but mentally.
Something’s in life are unavoidable. In general, things that are brought to our doorsteps that are just an unwelcome but a part of everyone’s life. Now jobless and without the availability of booze on tap I decided to use my time to change every negative aspect of my life that was directly control by me. The fact that found myself in the situation was a very real reality, the bills still rolled in and the administrative closure of the nightclub was controlling me but I would make it the last thing to ever pull my life strings in that way again.
The mental change for me came first, I knew I’d put weight on and I knew no one had forced the drink down my neck or marched me into every takeaway I walk past. OK I can give myself a tiny bit of slack because of my job choice but it’s no excuse and I now see it as a weakness in my mental state at that time. So yes, mentally I set about changing how I viewed myself, my life and how others viewed me.
Most people thought my interests only lay in nightclubs, bars, booze and rock n roll but I had many passions and now was an ideal time to start exploring them.
My mindset change started with a list, well to be honest it started with many lists. Like emptying your packets of loose change, my list helped me separate the important stuff from anything that wasn’t likely to make me richer, in a metaphorical sense of course.
List obsessive some things always came top. Nature, Wildlife, The Great Outdoors, Inner Happiness and being Healthy in an ‘I feel and look great way’ and ‘being sporty/competitive’.
So when you have your wish list of life fulfilling goals and you have time on your hands there really is no reason why my mental focus could not drive them my way, I was in control for a change and no outside forces could push me in any other direction than that of positive change. I just repeated this sentiment in my own head over and over again. Some would call it ‘positive mental attitude’ or just being focused. No matter what, self belief is the key. I’ll repeat my earlier sentiment that if I can manage it, anyone can.
There is no specific way I changed or went about changing. I made the list and believed I could do it. I started at the top and worked my way down. Looking back I remember clearly ticking the wish list off and then filling the gaps with a dozen other things that would follow on from just one small experience. It’s a really organic thing, like planting a seed, it’s going to grow.
A walk turned into a bike ride, a bike ride turned into a distance challenge and then when I was physically and mentally ready for the gym I just joined one. I was still at least 2 stone overweight but I did look better and felt fitter. Mentally and most important I felt the challenge of pushing myself was all the motivation I needed, the weight loss for me became a bi-product of it all, my mental strength to stick with my plan was stronger than it had ever been before.
Looking back it’s obvious now that the fitness would have never happened without time doing all the other things I love. Spending time at Moore Nature Reserve in Warrington and getting involved with the great outdoors made me happier than I’d been in a long time. I think the passions fuelled each other.
Anyway, I’m now at a junction in my journey. I’m fitter than I’ve ever been and looking forwards to doing my first half marathon during this summer 2011. I’m exploring new ways to take my fitness to the next level in the hope of completing a triathlon before the end of the year.
My OCD over all things from the natural world continues to grow. I’ll be blogging more about my activities on the great outdoors and as always try hard to experience and learn as much as possible.
I’ll close on the fitness thing for now. Just want to add and re-enforce the well known ethos that with exercise comes much happiness. I promise this is true, get out there and get active.
Quick thanks to Nez and all the fitness blogs that helped me along my way.
