NSV: Today I ran my 10k, sort of...

Here's the sort of story...

Around Christmas I had achieved my weight goal.  I always planned for 2014 to be about fitness once the excess weight was gone.  About that time my wife suggested the Monument 10k in Richmond, VA.

The timing was perfect.  Not only did it give me three months to train, it helped shift my mindset from food to exercise.  So I began the journey on 1/1/14 at the YMCA where I went and tested just how bad things were.

On 1/1/14 I had not run in 14 years.  I happen to pretty much know exactly when I stopped back then.  The first run wasn't great, but it also wasn't super bad.  It was so-so with a lot of walking and running mixed.

On my sleeve journey, prior to 1/1/14, I spent the first three months walking and pushing for more steps everyday and weekend.  After about three months I shifted to regular elliptical training ranging from 30-60 minutes.  I point this out for those of you just beginning because prior to my sleeve I had trouble just walking to my car after work.  I would stop and pretend to be looking around while I caught my breath and give my heart a rest.

For the next three months God tested me.  You see, I joined the YMCA training program which ran every Saturday morning.  Out of eleven Saturdays the temperature was 20 degrees on seven of them, it was 35 degrees and raining on one, and the last two were a blistering 40/45 degrees.  But I showed up every Saturday and followed all the training required during the week.

The Saturday before the actual 10k my Grandfather passed away.  Now, while sad on one level, let me say he was 95 years old, probably had cancer but refused to treat it, and had lost his wife of 50+ years about five years ago.  In short, it was his time, and also a blessing on another level.

Unfortunately for my race plans, he wished to have his service on Friday, with the gravesite stuff on Saturday, in his home state (so there was travel involved).  Thus ended my Monument 10k plans.

This did not sadden or disappoint me.  My grandfather was a great guy and I was happy to be at his funeral.  As for the race, well it was never really anything more than a arbitrary point in time to benchmark myself.  It's primary goal was achieved which was to get me physically active and in full exercise mode.  So, mission accomplished, but even so, it left something undone.

That brings us to today and let's start with "the spirit moved me"....

You see, my original goal with the 10k was to "run" it.  That was the real test.  I already knew from training that I could complete one, but to "run" it takes me back fourteen years.  I didn't care what time I posted so long as I could run it.  As far as I know, I probably would have failed that test on race day.  It just seemed like I couldn't break through mentally and kept resorting to occasional rests (1-2 minute walking) mixed in during my practice runs.

But today was different.  Today I'm in a hotel waiting to board a cruise ship on day one of vacation.  I was also wide awake at 5am so figured I'd get some exercise in while everyone slept.

And thus, without any crowds or the excitement of the live event, I "ran" my 10k on the hotel's treadmill.  This was the first time I ever managed to run it all the way through non-stop with no walking.  In three months I made it to that goal.

I hope those of you just start out, and struggling, can find the belief that all this can work for you also.  I swear I'm nothing special on this journey.  I was just a 46 year old fat guy who needed to solve a weight problem or die.  I know that now.  I didn't get the super-secret sleeve reserved for only a special few or anything.  Like anyone here, I waited out the insurance requirements, got surgery, followed the food plan, and upped the exercise as I regained my spirit.  If I did anything special, it was that I went cold turkey on 6/4/13 on every bad food habit I had and followed the new plan 100% of the time while loosing the weight, no exceptions, no cheating.

Enjoy!

Congrats on your progress and your accomplishment!  Your perseverance is impressive.  Enjoy that cruise!  

Thank you so much for your story.  It really moved and inspired me. My surgery is scheduled for May 5 and your hard work and success give me confidence that I too can have a new life if I work for it.

All I can say is wow! Sorry to hear about your grandfather passing. Congrats on completing your 10k that is awesome :-)

I'm sorry about your grandfather's passing but WOOHOO on running 10K!  That blows me away, not something I could pull off.  

Congratulations.  What an inspiring accomplishment.