Day 1

I wonder how many blog posts start "Day 1" - probably more than a few. Perhaps an introduction is fair: I'm Ryan, a 26-year old male who doesn't enjoy long walks on the beach. I do, however, love sports, and have all of my life. Participating in competitive events brings me a sense of calm, joy, and something to strive for. What I've also found is that I'm an inherently lazy individual who has to fight himself to do things like run, eat right, and hit the gym regularly.

My fitness background includes strength training, running, bookworming and a fairly successful stint with P90X. The problem I have encountered is that I'm not one of those individuals who gains satisfaction through regular exercise. I get no mythical runner's high, nor do I get a pump when lifting weights. Instead I get this feeling of lukewarm contentment when a lifting or running goal is reached, and this has led me to repeated cessation of exercise altogether. Naturally, the fluctuations have been severe.

At my most "in shape" this decade I was 240lbs at 16% body fat. Not horrible, but certainly not Adonis. At my worst I tipped the scales at 330lbs. I'm currently at a rather funny weight, three bills exactly. I've jumped back and forth from 270 to 300 for the past two years and now that I'm again faced with that car payment-sized weight total I'm finding that this time is a little different. I've grown tired of saying F-it, this is who I am.

So what do I intend to do about it? For me I feel the best solution is a tried and true method (for me, at least) - setting an absolute goal that is only attainable through hard work and lifestyle changes. Honestly, do I need to sit on the couch and watch an episode of The Office that I've seen four times now?

This decision led me to list the exercise goals that I have, the fitness level I wish to bring myself to, the body that I want, and the mental state I would like to be in. In doing so I realized that aside from mind, body and fitness, I missed competition. I have secretly wanted to participate in a triathlon for many years now but viewed the prospect as nearly impossible since A) I hate running, B) I hate biking, and C) I hate being mistaken for a manatee when I swim. Upon further review, the word HATE is probably a bit much, and a little more misleading. The main issue is that I've never, EVER run more than 3.5 miles at a clip, haven't biked since I was 17, and the last time I swam for distance was on a cruise shore excursion when I was certain a shark was going to enjoy Haunch of Ryan in Sea Salt.

So, in fact, it wasn't hate - it was never having done what would be asked of me. This is usually not a prospect I am afraid of, as I am constantly attempting to tackle jobs I am woefully under-qualified for (there's some drywall hanging on by a single screw, a lawn with seed that won't grow (I suspect out of spite), and a fence that gets laughed at by the other fences on the block, all of which can attest to the levels of insanity I reach when attempting things I have no experience in). The difference between slinging sheetrock and dropping tonnage in a manner that will be effective in the short and long-term is that the prospect of failure in the former does not carry dire consequences for me. Not losing weight will lead to health problems and cause premature death. Fact. Written in stone. And that...*deep breath*...scares me. Not the premature death thing...the failing at helping myself live a healthy life.

What the heck am I rambling on for...it's midnight and I have to be up at 5:30 for work.

Tomorrow begins Day 1 of my lifestyle change (damn, how many times have I said that in  my life...). It's my first step toward participating in a triathlon, and it's going to suck. As an aside, I have begun to read "Triathloning for Ordinary Mortals" by Steven Jonas. While I am an extraordinary mortal, I figured I'd give it a browse anyway.