DAY ONE-2011 Fitness Challenge

Today is the day. I’ve been anticipating this day for over a month. It is the start of my 2011 fitness challenge. If you are new to my blog, then let me explain. I’m planning to complete 2011 miles in the year 2011 by either walking, running, or cycling. All miles have to be completed outdoors, so treadmills and exercise bikes don’t count. If you do the math, that’s about 5.5 miles a day on average. I won’t be able to keep up with that pace by walking or running, but I plan to make up any deficit and get ahead of the goal by cycling in the late spring, summer, and early fall.  I can't afford to rely on the bike alone, however, so consistency is vital.



Since today is January 1, 2011, it is the beginning of the challenge.


I am planning to update my readers on my progress throughout the year. That being the case, I find it important to give you some starting details, and some of my personal goals that I hope to attain along the way.


Right now, I can say that I am quite uncomfortable. My clothes don’t fit very well, and my potential selection in my closet has shrunk. I’m pushing a new waist size that I’ve never been to before, and I definitely don’t want to go there. Also, I am beginning to feel the squeeze on my chest when I bend to tie my shoes. I can’t say that I get winded by climbing stairs, and I’m not feeling all that unwell overall, but I don’t really want to get to that point either.


Time to get busy.


I’m going to give you the following information on a weekly basis: Mileage completed, mileage left, percentage completed, current weight, and my feelings and attitudes that I experience along the way. I’ll probably also comment on problems and obstacles that I face, and how I deal with them. I also have a food aspect to this plan, which you can see in my previous “Guidelines” post, if you care to look. I’ll likely talk about how that’s going too.


Here we go:


WEIGHT: 270 lbs.


This is the absolute highest weight that I have ever seen from myself on the scales. I’ve been on a weight rollercoaster for years, and this is a new peak. I do have a weight goal, but I am considering it a side goal, and not something that I am going to focus too much energy on trying to nail. I figure that if I focus on the mileage goal, and do the food plan as I’ve laid it out, I should be able to hit the weight I want to see.  I am tracking it, though, and I may use it as motivation to tweak by program if I think it's needed. My weight goal is 210 lbs. I need to lose 60 pounds to accomplish that target.  Based on past experience, I feel really good at about 210.


MILEAGE

Goal: 2011

Completed: 2.6 miles

Percentage Completed: .1%  (Yes, that's one tenth of one percent.  Long way to go.)

Miles Left: 2008.4


Yeah, I’ve actually already had my first walk. I didn’t start cold at 2.6 miles, though. I’ve been walking all the last week of December; five out of the last six days. My legs ache, and I’m definitely ready for sleep by bedtime, but it feels good being outside in the cool air.


If you want to follow my progress, I’ll attempt to update the details and comment on the process once per week, on the weekends.


Wish me luck in staying injury-free. Feel free to ask me how it’s going.

Maybe I’ll see you on the road.