The making of an Action Hero pt 10

Entry #9 I have started down the path of pain. It dawned on me today that I was making excuses not to exercise. It’s true that I need some time to mentally adjust to the idea. It’s true that I need to adjust my sleep schedule to the process. It’s also true that if I don’t start taking steps forward, I’ll keep making excuses. Today I ordered a pair of 5 and 10 pound steel clubs. You hold one in each hand and swing them in intricate motions, developing strength, flexibility, and coordination. This process dates back to the Persian Empire where these little beauties and a steel mace were used to train wrestlers and soldiers. I couldn’t find a steel mace on line, so clubs it is. Turns out steel clubs were all the rage during the 19th and early 20th century. Early U.S. army fitness manuals taught this form of exercise both for the physical aspect but also because it promoted grace and coordination. So I will soon own 4 chunks of metal, big deal. I need two other components which I am in the process of acquiring. First, I need a good night’s sleep. I’m working on getting a “light box” to deal with my insomnia and SAD. Thirty to sixty minutes a day with one is supposed to work wonders with circadian rhythms. That will either let me go to bed at the same time and get more from less rest, or put my body on notice and at least let me go to bed earlier and make the loss of the extra half hour worth it. I’ll have to wait till next week’s pay check to buy this, but it’s on my list of stuff to get. Second, I need to get a program down with the clubs. I’m researching that now. I’m going to hunt down some DVDs and see what I can find. By the time sleep is fixed, I want the clubs in hand and a plan for using them. I could keep waiting; maybe even start some desultory calisthenics in a few weeks. That’s not what I need to do though. I need to train up. There is evil in the world and I will be ready to face it. Mock training with nurf guns is one thing. To get to where I need to be I need more than brightly colored plastic and neon foam. At some point I have to walk the walk and I am going to remove all the excuses I can up front. Today I had a small bowl of fiber one and blueberries for breakfast. Work was a turkey and pepper jack wrap, an apple, and a container of Greek yogurt over 8 hours. I’m beginning to understand one of the points all the diet experts keep harping on. They keep saying that you need to eat a hardy breakfast. The idea is that if you starve the body in the morning, it goes into conservation mode for the rest of the day. You’re sluggish and won’t be burning many stored fat reserves. I’m beginning to feel that. For dinner I came home and stuffed some of the brunette’s sandwiches with left over salad from Sunday. I grilled the result on the Panini maker and chowed down. Granted, it wasn’t a bad meal. There were tons of vegetables. Still, I didn’t need two sandwiches. I was just really hungry. Managing the hunger is as much a part of this process as managing the diet itself. I will spread out my mini-meals at work more and start with a bigger breakfast. I sliced up some apples today so that we can make some more oatmeal tomorrow. I just RSVPed to a friends wedding at the end of August. I will be in better form then than I am now. I will fit my suit better. I already expressed a preference for a vegetarian entree for the reception dinner. I am going to do this. I am sick of being my own worst enemy.