So I've Been Married to this One Chic for Five Years...

Hey there, don't jump to any conclusions; I'm just saying what a man I met at Firestone Park told me.  But now that I caught your attention, let me explain.  Since I've only been in the Akron area for just over a week, I decided to explore a little after work on Thursday.  It was really nice outside so I rode my bike to the nearest metropolitan park to check out the trails.  I found out that they don't allow bikes there, so I was about to leave until I noticed that the entrance sign mentioned a sledding hill.  And you remember what that means in summer (or year-round for that matter) - a running hill.

After locking up my bike I set out on foot to find it.  There were a few small hills along the way, but none quite big enough to get me out of breath.  It wasn't until I ran into a man power-walking the trail that I found out where the big hill was.  Luck had it that we were speaking the same wavelength and were using the park for the same purpose, so we had a nice chat.  Shortly after we met he said: "So I've been married to this one chic for five years, and she's Italian, and she just cooks so d*** good."  Needless to say, he'd been thoroughly enjoying all of the meals she made.  Add to that the stress he'd been having at work, and before he knew it he weighed 310.  Back in November a doctor informed him that he had developed type II diabetes and that he'd need to be on medication.  But he was determined and decided he didn't want things to stay that way, so he set a goal to get down to his original weight of 190 within a year - not a small feat.  Since then he has not missed a day of his 2.5 mile regimen, and is now down to 220 - and doesn't need his diabetes medication. 

He still has five months to go, but he admitted that now he is plateauing a bit.  He agreed with me that he'd like to up the intensity a bit so that he can lose more, but running still hurts his knees because of the extra weight he's carrying.  I told him that running uphill reduces the load on your knees because of the angle you're running at.  But the key to remember is run uphill only - not downhill.  Walk back down the hill to save your joints.  I also pointed out to him that he has come so far already that his mission wouldn't be a failure if he didn't make it to 190 by November, and that he should still keep going even if it takes him a little longer.  He paused for a moment and realized that he had been so dead set on his target time frame of one year that he hadn't even considered that possibility before.  So before I sign off, I want you to remember to make your goals adjustable.  That way it's not a catastrophe if you fall short or something unexpected comes up.

Adjust accordingly,
Jeff

P.S.  I'm sure I'll be running there some more, so I'll keep you updated on his progress later this year if I run into him again.