Runners, Take Your Mark!

Beyond the world of cigars & cuisine, another desire I have in life is dedicated to fitness. Whereas of late, I haven’t been as motivated as I once was when it comes to leading an active lifestyle. Living in the valley of the sun, there should be no excuse weather-wise to get out and make the most of my physical surroundings, especially this time of year now that the temps have dipped to a reasonable level. With that said, I thought I’d throw out some fitness tracking for all to see as a motivator to help me achieve some of my physical goals.

I think some background of what I once was is necessary to put things into perspective. As with most people today, my most active time physically had to be what seemed like ages ago in high school. I spent two years of my time there running cross-country in the fall, whereas the winter, spring and occasional summer was dedicated to gymnastics for all four years. Beyond high school, I bulked up in college and continued a somewhat active lifestyle up until the ripe old age of 30. I would work out when I had the time, continued running and biking on a somewhat regular basis (at the time I lived in Chicago, so there were only so many months to enjoy the outdoors), and maintained what I thought to be a pretty good example of what an “in-shape” person should showcase. My body fat was low, heart rate & blood pressure was above average, my energy level was high, and for the most part I was active. Then came the move to Arizona… I’m not sure what happened to trigger such laziness, however I just seemed to turn everything off once I moved out here and turned into the Common Man (I’ll start a proper diet next week when there’s less stress at work, I’d like to lift but I don’t like my gym, etc.), there was always an excuse. Over my time here, I’ve had spurts of energy and dedication, but all of which seemed to be short-lived. Now, I feel it’s time to turn the common-man around. It’s time to set short & long term physical goals. It’s time to dedicate myself to something other than the “thought” of getting back into shape… And so it begins.

My first short-term goal is that of the PF Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. This race is a big event here in Phoenix, if not the biggest fitness event of the year. It’s rather unique in that it’s held in one of the only places in the US where good weather is almost guaranteed in January. Also, there will be a number of bands performing all along the race route (along with other festivities), which I would think (and hope) will make the miles run by much faster and more entertaining than just a standard race.

I know some of you may think that a marathon is a lofty first short-term goal to have, and that is why I’m only signed up for the ½ marathon. I’ve started my training routine by comfortably running 5 miles a day, 3-4 times a week for the past few weeks, and it’s surprising to find how I’ve never really lost my gait from the days of cross-country training at good ol’ Niles West High School. This week marks the official 12-week point prior to the race, and it’s now time to ramp up my training. This upcoming week will be dedicated to four 5-mile training days and one 7-mile day, totaling 27 miles. With this type of growing routine, I hope to trim off some of the unwanted fat, lower my resting heart rate & blood pressure and increase my energy levels. I’ll also start to factor the gym and diet into my routine, however that’s a post for another day. Let the training begin!

Also, for all those who read my columns for cigar news, reviews and information, don’t fret, for I’ll still regularly post. One inspiration I had for this fitness training was a previous article in Cigar Aficionado, detailing the life of Michael Jordan. One thing I found which made me rethink my vices and goals was his pre-game ritual of smoking a cigar on the way to each home game while stuck in traffic. I don’t intend to give up cigar smoking during my newfound days of training, for that is the reward for hard work, and well earned. It’s still a time to reflect on the finer things, and now with training involved, I’ll feel a whole lot better when it comes to my vices.