Week 6.
by Ben Davis
Staff Writer
April 1st was the three-month mark of my doing life. Each time a month passes, I look at my situation to see how I am different than I was in the beginning.
It’s good to go back and see what I wrote at the beginning, like on Jan 7 when I said: “I jogged for 10 minutes tonight without stopping … I was extremely tired when I got done but at least I didn’t stop. If I had to guess, I’d say it was 8/10 of a mile.” Funny.
To be fair, that was my third day of working out after having not exerted physically in over a year. Saturday I ran my first official 10K. I finished it in under an hour. 59:53 to be exact. Good enough for third place in my age group (20-24) so what if there were only four runners in the age group, an award is an award and if pride wasn’t a deadly sin, I’d be proud of myself.
As a side note, remember in “The Office” season four premiere when they ran in the fun-run 5K and Andy’s nipples bled? Yeah, that actually happens. Don’t wear a cotton T-shirt when you race. Trust me. Ouch. OK, enough about that…
When I first started changing my lifestyle, I made a list of things I’d like to achieve. A set of goals to serve as something that I could look at on a regular basis so as to keep me motivated. The list includes the cliché “maintain a healthy lifestyle,” and “eat healthy and nutritiously,” etc, but I’m talking more about the tangible and fun goals.
A few noteworthy ones:
1. 220 pounds. Started at 358. Currently 283.
2. Size 34 pants. Started at 50. Currently 40.
3. Size Large T-shirt. Started XXXL. Currently XL.
4. Fast mile time. Started 11:44. Currently 7:12.
5. Complete a pull-up. Started: couldn’t. Currently: can’t.
6. Don’t die early. Started: On pace. Currently: Less on pace.
7. 100 pushups without stopping. Started: 13 Currently: 32
8. Do a backflip. This is more of a lifelong goal that I put in to remind myself that I really want to do one.
It’s awesome to see these physical improvements, but I think more importantly, I’m feeling exponentially better about life emotionally; it’s like I’m excited to wake up and get out there. Last year I locked myself inside - my old roommate can attest to this. I would come home from class, walk straight to my room and stay until class the next day. I didn’t care about anything, or anyone for that matter. I even lost a four-year relationship as a direct result of the depression. It was a pathetic, miserable situation.
I wrote a letter the other day. It sounds dorky, but it was to my future self, reminding me that I’ve never been happier than I am now and that if I ever feel like falling back into my old lifestyle, to remember 2008 and that we don’t want to go back. It’s true. Yes, Chili’s chicken crispers are really good. But only for a moment. Lounging around can be relaxing, but not if it’s all you do. Life is better when doing life right: physically, emotionally, academically… everything. I need to remember that.
So, three successful months down, here’s to hoping that the next 840 can be as good. Yes, I want to live until I’m 92, apparently. Do good this week.
