My Prime

All the time, I hear people say it. You've heard it said. Usually written, but sometimes spoken. "When I was in my prime, I..."

Growing up, I was outcast. Somehow I developed a reputation as the kid to pick on. Mid-stream my family moved from one town to another, and I thought wow, I can start anew. Problem was, the damage had been done, and while I was at a new place, my teenage brain couldn't comprehend that I could be anyone I wanted to be. So I took up the role I had in the previous town, at the previous school. The outcast.

I wasn't particularly athletic. As a child, I played little league, but couldn't throw the ball very far. I was afraid to bat, because I might be hit by the ball. I never swung at it, I let them walk me. One time I got to third base and was excited, but forgot to stand on the base, so I got tagged out. I played right field and the ball came to me once or twice, but I could never get the ball into the infield. I was taunted by all the kids until finally I couldn't take it anymore and finally quit. I was then called a quitter for many years.

I was a short kid, but was able to jump high enough to grab onto the basketball net, and when I was in the 8th Grade, I loved to play and thought that perhaps I could be on the team. Open tryouts were held, and I jumped at the chance. My father even stayed for the tryouts, something he never did. Every kid there laughed at me and told me I had no business being there. So I went home.

In high school, PE wasn't much better. I couldn't play football. The one time I got the ball, I ran with it the opposite direction and gave the other team a touchback. When I would show my lack of athletic ability, I was given the only punishment ever doled out by the teacher, who was the football coach: run laps. I think I spent my entire Freshman & Sophomore years running laps, very poorly.

In 1984, I got into a car accident with my mother and was injured. My mom made a bigger deal out of my injury, but I took it as my opportunity to get out of the hell that was PE. The doctor wrote a note, and I was excused from having to go. For me, this was a dream.

I did, however, find out on my own that I could run fast. At least, I thought I could run fast, and of cousre I could jump high. I thought wow, what about track & field? I could do the high jump, it looks pretty cool. Then I realized that I had this doctor note in the office, and if I were to try track & field, then I could easily be in PE. No thanks. So I didn't bother.

Girls were a joke. Nobody was interested in me, or at least that's how it seemed. I know I missed out on a few opportunities here and there due to my stupidity and lack of experience. I did finally have a girlfriend for the last few months of Senior year, but that was it.

I went on to college, but never did anything active. I was downright sedentary. As time went on, the pounds got added, and my activity level went down.

Over the years, life happened, there were ups and there were downs. I got married, had a son... and got diabetes. And high blood pressure. I took medications prescribed to me, which got things in control. Or should I say, barely over the line into control. I had two daughters along the way.

Then something happened. I don't know what it was, there was no light bulb. No epiphany, no illness, I already had that. God didn't give me a scare and suddenly I did what I had to do. There wasn't a moment that I could point to and say that was what made me come to my senses.

A friend just happened to introduce me to a diet plan. The stars must have been aligned properly, I must have been caught at a vulnerable moment. Someone waved a magic wand over my head and said abracadabra. Maybe I fell and hit my head. Whatever the case was, I did what needed to be done. I followed the instructions given in the book, and lost weight.

Then somehow I found myself getting fit. As I said, I have no idea why. Some kind of switch went on in my head that said, "Do this" and I did. So now I sit here at 10:45pm on Friday, April 18, 2008, writing something I should have said a long time ago.

Hi. My name is Greg. I'm 38 years old. And this moment, right here, right now... is my prime.

Gym was the same as Tuesday, 35 minutes, 265 calories burned. This evening I did 45 minutes of cardio on the stairclimber, level 5, climbing action, 14 floors per minute. 372 more calories burned, making 637 calories burned for the day. Gregory walked on the treadmill at 2mph alongside me, it was really cute. He loved it, wants to do it again. Very cool.