One of my favorite things to do when I am not working or spending time with family and friends, is working out.
Yes, I said it. I like to work out.
When school is in session, and my wife is back at work, going to the gym has become a daily ritual with my daughter. It’s where I go to work out and relieve stress and it’s what my 2-year-old calls “school.”
I have no issues finding a little bit of time to work out every day. I have trained for several half-marathons and 10K during my days. The time to train for another race I have yet to sign up for is now.
I decided to begin another training session Monday. I plan on running every other day during the week, moving up the distances as I go.
But running, walking and/or lifting weights has never been the issue. My problem is with the nutrition part.
I like to eat. And since I have an unusual schedule, I spend a lot of time in my car and away from home, which creates a tough environment for a healthy diet.
I am working on it. It’s not something that comes easy to me though. I don’t cook so that’s another problem. And healthy food is expensive. That’s another issue.
But when I made a commitment to getting back to running more consistently, I also decided to take it up a notch when it comes to eating better.
I am going to try to stop eating late at night when I come home from work. That may be part of the problem.
I have shown before that I can shed pounds without much trouble if I devote myself to a healthy diet and maintain a strong exercise regimen.
I think something else that helps me stay motivated is signing up for races.
There might be a 5K that you can sign up for every weekend, but I have never participated in one. When I participate in a road race, I go big or go home.
I have run in the Drake Relays 10K three times, went the distance in three Dam to Dam races and finished three Des Moines Half Marathons.
I need another challenge. Maybe I’ll sign up for my seventh half-marathon. That would be one thing that would ensure I stick to the program.
But I won’t be at my best until I shed some pounds. And that starts and ends with me eating better. I have to stop pulling into fast food restaurants.
Driving into gas stations and spending a few bucks on food I don’t need is another habit I need to avoid.
It’s hard. I can’t lie about that. It’s so easy to do when all the time I have to eat some nights is the time I have in my car driving from an area sporting event to the office.
Health and fitness is challenging. But it’s time for me to step up to the challenge and starting walking the walk and not just talking the talk.