Fitness Report

It's been a bit over a year and a half since I decided to get in shape.  As a former Marine, I decided to use the Marine Corps' Physical Fitness Test (PFT) as a guideline for my progress.  It's kind of funny... I've always considered myself a relatively healthy, active guy, but when I started exercising, I couldn't run three miles within the allotted time.  I kept at it though, and within three months I was able to pass a Marine Corps PFT.  Within six months, I scored a first class PFT.  Within a year, I was in better shape than I was at 25, and in the best shape of my life if you account for aging.  I've hit a couple of plateaus during this time.  One plateau lasted over three months, but I was eventually able to plow through it.  I'm still riding the second one, which has lasted almost six months.  It's theoretically possible that I've peaked physically.  It's okay if I have peaked, but I hope that I haven't.  Regardless, here are a few things I've learned along the way.

-Be willing to change your routine.  I learned this early on.  When I started, I was running in minimalist shoes.  I'd read a lot about minimalist running, and heard that it was the way to go.  It didn't work for me though. When I decided to start running with standard running shoes, my run time improved significantly and I stopped injuring myself.  I recently made another major change to my routine with the hope that I can break through my current plateau.  I haven't been using this updated regimen for long, but it seems to be working so far.

-Listen to your body.  This kind of relates to my previous statement.  When I was doing the minimalist running, I hurt my feet frequently.  I listened to my body, and when my feet hurt, I stopped running and rode the exercise bike until my feet healed.  On days when I was unusually tired, I gave myself permission to take it easy.  On days where I felt particularly energized, I pushed myself a little harder.  When I was sore from the previous workout, I backed off a bit.

-Variety is the spice of life.  Every now and then, I don't feel like lifting weights.  Sometimes I suck it up and lift anyway.  Other times, I swim.  What's important is that you do something.

-Goals are good.  When you attain one goal, set another.  I have one goal that I set early in this journey, and I still haven't hit it.  That's okay.  There are several other goals that I've hit along the way.  The point is that you always need to be striving for something.

-Give yourself permission to relax.  Maybe you're sick.  Maybe you're on vacation.  If so, that's okay.  Don't sweat missing a workout or two.  That said though, I don't recommend skipping workouts if you're just starting.  Don't skip workouts until you're at a point in your lifestyle change that skipping out seems like a disappointment, rather than a treat.  Also, don't skip more than a week.  And if you do skip, give yourself a little slack that first day or two back at the gym.

-Be prepared for the occasional backslide.  This kind of ties in to my plateaus.  When I hit each plateau, I actually backslid a bit.  This has partially been due to the change of seasons.  When spring hits, life tends to get a bit busy for me; as a result, I tend to miss a few workouts during this time of year.  Not only do I not make progress during this time, but I actually find that my run time is a bit slower, I can't do quite a many pull-ups, and my bench press suffers a bit.  This is part of the game.  Again, keep at it.

Overall, I'm glad I've started hitting the gym again.  I feel a lot better.  I hope that it will add quality as well as quantity to my life.  Please understand though, I'm not here to preach, and I'm not here to brag.  My reason for writing this today is to share my progress with anyone who may care.  And if I'm really lucky, my words will help someone else who's decided improve their physical fitness.