Today I Ran

Course: Streets of Woodside
Distance: 2.17 miles
Pain: sort of. Arch of my right foot is a little sore.

Kind of cold today. Mid-40s and a little breezy. I ran right under the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, next to the big cemetery by our house – that was a mistake. Truck exhaust does not make for a refreshing run.

Still, it was my first run in the neighborhood since we moved here (I’ve been running on treadmills up to now), and it was good to get out and see the neighborhood a bit.

So It Begins

Last year in June when I was in San Antonio for a conference – and on the eve of my 30th birthday – I decided to go for a jog. Out of shape and heavy, I huffed and puffed my way through 3 miles of a torturous run along the famous Riverwalk in downtown San Antonio. Looking at my watch, I quickly crashed head-first into a pre-midlife-crisis crisis when I realized that it had taken me over 30 minutes to run 3 miles. I know that may not sound like a big deal, but as someone who used to be able to run 3 miles in less than 20 minutes, it was a serious blow to my morale.

So, I did what any normal 30-something (or close to 30-something) person in our day and age would do. I made a Decision. I was going to lose weight, get in shape, get my life in order, become the captain of my ship, the master of my domain. I was going to get things done.

It all went fairly well for a few months. I was going to the gym, I lost 10 pounds, I was feeling pretty good about things.

Then through November, December and January, I sort of lost steam. A few of the pounds crept back, I lost a lot of my aerobic endurance, and I started to feel a little bit out of control again. I think maybe I started too fast out of the gate, saw some immediate results, and started to rest on my laurels a little bit. Plus I think I was trying to do it to much in isolation, without really any kind of support.

So fast forward to today: I’ve started working out again, started running. I’m getting back on top of my Getting Things Done system. (If you don’t know what that is, do a google search for Getting Things Done. No, really.). My hope is keeping this journal will help me stay on top of things as I track my progress, not only in my fitness goals, but in my life goals. Also, I figure it’s good place to write about all the gadgets and geekery I’m sort of known for.

So welcome to my online fitness journal/personal productivity tracker/gear-and-gadget log. Feel free to leave comments. And go ahead, throw some rotten tomatoes at me if you like. I’ve been training, so you can’t hit me anyway.