The Adventure Begins

The madness/adventure started with a visit to the doctor. Oddly enough, many adventures end with a visit to the doctor. But this one was brought into existence because of a visit to the doctor. It was the Spring of 2002 and I had celebrated my 32nd birthday a few months earlier. I decided it was time for a check-up at the doc. It'd only been about 20 years since the last check-up. I made the call, scheduled the appointment and arrived with my trusty insurance card in hand. Blood was drawn, fluids were sampled, X-rays were taken and tests were performed for which I knew no need. But I placed my trust in the good doctor and went along through each process as though I knew what was going on. I left feeling overwhelmed, and slightly violated. A few days passed and I received a phone call revealing the results of all the tests. The verdict: "Everything looks fine", says doc," except (my heart began to beat a little faster), your cholesterol is very high for someone of your age and build. You should start on a low fat diet and begin an exercise program. Come back in a few months and we'll check it again", he says. And with that I began my adventure.
Having a family history of health issues, I was determined to make the necessary changes to improve my health. I eliminated all fried foods, beef, most dairy, and anything else that tasted good. I dusted off my old tennis shoes and began walking daily. Though my diet was unexciting to say the least, I felt good about the changes I'd made. Weeks passed and I stuck to the program. Then I decided I would give running a try. With zero fanfare, I began an activity that I would grow to enjoy more than I ever thought possible...though it would take some time for that enjoyment to fully develop.
Months passed and I grew tired of living on baked everything. I also began to become board with running the same three miles over and over. I began to fudge on my diet and skip runs. Before I knew it, I'd fallen off the wagon and was back eating whatever I wanted and spending most of my time on the couch.
Many months pass and I decided to give it another go. This time around, I decided to take a different approach and educate myself a bit. I learned that it is best to make incremental changes to my diet rather than trying to do it all in one fatal blow. I learned that my earlier attempt at running was doomed from the beginning. I had taken the wrong approach before, giving a near maximum effort during each run. I began to research training programs on the internet. I learned as much about running as I could. I got myself a proper pair of running shoes. I bought myself a heart rate monitor and learned to use it. I found out what running slow really means. I made small changes in my diet. I enjoyed the adventure this time around and felt great.

to be continued.....