Time to get Serious

Sometime in January 2009 I went to the doctor for a severe pain in my big toe. It was awful, one of the most painful experiences I have had. This visit was a turning point in my life from the minute the nurse called me from the waiting room.

First up was the old weigh in. As a kid, I looked forward to the nurse recording my height and weight during a visit to the doc. I saw gains as progress and was encouraged that I continued to grow. This weigh in was embarrassing. I can't remember the exact number but it was somewhere around 250lb. This weight was ridiculous. I knew I was getting big but in college I weighed about 180. I was 70lbs overweight! Sitting in the exam room waiting for thedoc was depressing, I couldn't believe that I had let me self go like this, and my fucking toe hurt.

Then the fun began, the friendly-family doctor came in for a quick exam followed by a blood test. Within the hour the doctor had confirmed what Google told me the night before. I have gout, a type of inflammatory arthritis common in overweight old guys. Sweet, I am 30 years old and 250lbs, a fucking overweight old guy. As if I needed it, the doctor thought it would be good to give me a lecture on how I should start thinking seriously about my health. He made it clear that my "weight was becoming a real issue". Thanks doc.


The lecture was more then just embarrassing. It was kind of an eye opener. I was 30 years old with an awesome little son. I want to be able to teach him to snowboard, play baseball and cause all kinds of trouble. This is far beyond vanity or self esteem, I need to be Dad.

By May 2009 I convinced myself that I needed to take action and began to work out. My buddy Mike D and I got memberships to Snap Fitness and got started. We soon realized we had no clue what we were doing and hired a trainer. Following Mike's lead, I started to count calories and lost some serious weight. Fast forward to June 2010 I was 200lbs and completed a life long goal of running a marathon. I completed Grandma's marathon in Duluth in 4 hours and 57 minutes. That's right, I lost about 50lbs in a year through a truly ground breaking concept. I ate less and worked more.

Today, December 23rd 2010, I am in pretty decent shape. I am weighing in at about 195 and stronger then I was in college. In August I moved to Chicago and discovered crossfit. Those close to me have certainly heard a beer enhanced rant about how rad crossfit is. The attentive reader might notice that I have only lost about 5lbs since the marathon 6 months ago. I believe that I have put on some muscle mass but I still have a nice gut.

Enter this blog. I have worked pretty damn hard to get where I am today. Doing crossfit 3-4 days a week, running 1-2 days a week and eating much better. I look better, I feel better and I am pretty happy with the results. While I have added some sweet pipes, I still rock a pretty tough tube around the waist. Not the end of the world, I am married and my wife couldn't care less. But the OCD in me has decided it is time to get serious. I am going to get f'in ripped before summer time. For no other reason then just to see if it's possible. Can I go from 250lb old guy to six pack guy in 2 years?

Here are my goals:
- Post to this blog 2-3 times a week
- Complete Whole30
- Lose the tube
- Run Grandmas in 4:30 or less
- Get Crossfit Level 1 Certified