Friday, November 6, 2009

My Exercise & Diet - A History

One of the reasons I wanted to do this blog is because my wife does a blog relating to her running and her healthy eating, and she seems to get a lot of motivation for both by holding herself accountable by putting her goals and successes and failures in writing and by getting encouraging comments from her readers.  I don't expect anyone to read this blog other than her, but hopefully I'll be more motivated in my running and in my healthy eating by putting it down in writing.

I have gone through various phases in my life in every aspect, including my exercise and eating habits. My parents have always been relatively healthy and active.  My mom didn't exactly cook extremely healthy meals, but she stayed at home while my dad worked as a policeman, so she did cook homemade meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner most of the time, so I probably ate healthier than many people.  Growing up, I was always very active and involved in every sport I could be involved in.  My parents built me a concrete basketball court with a light in our yard, so I could, and did, play basketball day and night growing up.  They were also always more than willing to appease my desires to have footballs or baseballs thrown my way, so I could run and dive after them, and then do it over and over and over again all day every day.  So, with the help of my loving parents, I was very active as a child.  Also, my dad coached all of my baseball and basketball teams until I started school sports in 7th grade.  Sports were always very important to my family and extended family, so they were important to me. 

Once in school, I played basketball and football and ran track, and when I wasn't playing those sports, I was watching them on TV day and night. For as long as I can remember, my dad has gotten up every morning before 5 am and ran and lifted weights.  Once I got to high school, I too got interested in lifting weights.  My senior year, I was lifting 2 hours per day after school and eating 7 huge meals every day.  I would eat 30 grams of protein and 60 grams of carbs with as little fat as possible at each of the 7 meals.  I feel bad now, but I would make my mom make egg white omelets for me every morning.  Most moms wouldn't do that.  I was very lucky.  Because of my hard work in the weight room and my disciplined diet I went from a skinny little kid to 195 pounds and none of it fat by the time I graduated high school. 

Once I got to college at Baylor University in Waco, TX, I did really good at keeping up with my lifting and diet for 1 semester, but then I got lazy.  The 2nd semester I pledged the Sigma Chi Fraternity, and that, combined with my studies, took up too much time for my diet and lifting.  I never lifted or ran for a couple years.  And I went from being huge in a muscle bound way, to being huge in having a beer gut or freshman fifteen kind of way.  Not only did I not exercise or lift, but I had a pass for the cafeteria for brekfast, lunch, and dinner, and let's just say I got my money's worth everytime I went to the cafeteria.  Right before I got married, I started lifting again.  I lifted legs for the first time in years, and then played basketball the next day.  Not a good idea.  Because my leg muscles were so tired and sore, when I went to plant my foot for a lay up, I tore my left ACL.  I had ACL surgery and walked down the aisle in my wedding less than a week later.  Our honeymoon cabin had a hot tub, but we couldn't use it because my leg wasn't allowed in the water. 

I have since gone in and out of phases where I will lift weights for a few months and then I won't and then I will like most people I assume.  However, a little less than a year ago, I started lifting 3 days a week with my weightlifting class that I teach, and I've kept that up since then.  Now that I've started running, I only lift 2 days a week.

I've never been a runner.  I ran track in high school, but never distance.  My dad always ran a little.  He ran 2 half marathons and 1 marathon (without training for it and about died.) And my mom ran for a while with him.  I thought he was crazy for running and I never thought I would run.  This summer, though, my family and I went on a 5 week vacation, and because my wife was training for a 5k and because we were in a bunch of strange places, she forced me to run with her.  And I do mean forced me.  We about got a divorce over her forcing me to run with her.  Not only did I have to run with her (3 miles 3 times a week), but we were on vacation, and I (who was not the runner by the way) had to push a 2 year old and a 5 year old in a double jogging stroller.  And at times we were at over 10000 feet of elevation.  We got back from our vacation and she made me come to the Tontitown Grape Festival 5k with her to watch, so the day of the race, I decided I might as well run as well since I had been running anyway and since I had to be there anyway.  Well, since then, I've been hooked.  I never thought I would say this, but I enjoy running.  Sometimes I don't want to do it, but I feel great afterwards.  My wife and I got a half marathon training plan off the internet and decided we would train for the Route 66 Half Marathon in Tulsa, OK.  We've since run another 5k and a 10k, the half marathon is the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and we recently signed up to run in the Little Rock Marathon in March.  I am now a runner. 

My wife started eating very healthy about a year ago, and because of she cooks all our meals and buys our groceries, I started eating healthy too.  She makes almost everything we eat from scratch (even our granola and bread.)  I am extremely lucky to have such a good cook for a wife and a wife that wants to keep me and our kids heatlhy.  She doesn't buy any junk food, so when I'm at home I do a great job of eating healthy.  Unfortunately, I'm not always at home.  I try to eat a small amount every 3 hours, but I haven't done very good lately.  At least I'm trying to eat healthy though.  Kasey has decided that she is now a vegetarian because it's healthier than eating meat, so when I'm home, I guess I'm a vegetarian too.  I don't have anything against eating meat (and I do now and then), but it does seem healthier not to.

Well, I'm sure even Kasey won't have the time or stay awake long enough to read all this it's so long, and I know no one else would read this entire post, but oh well.

2 comments:

Kasey said...

why are you so negative about no one reading your blog? I thought it was wonderful and I most certainly did read all of it!

thank you for the nice things you said about me! I love you! and i'm super glad you're running and lifting, and eating healthy! I want you to be around as long as possible! love you!

The Sunflower House said...

Found your blog linked from Kasey's. You two are doing great...both of your times are fast! Kasey's good food makes you run faster...right?