Backslide

I am 34 years young this year, and will soon enough be one year younger. I have reached a distinct change in my fitness life. Before this past year, I felt as if I could do about any thing I wanted as far as eating, sleeping and recovery go, and still keep improving. I realize this point of view is flawed at its very root, but nevertheless it was that young invincible thread that runs through all of us.

This past couple years have been the best in my life. I got married, watched my wife give birth to our beautiful daughter, and I do what I love every day. My fitness for that matter has been on the opposite trajectory. There is no excuse here, just the facts. The game is different now. I now know that without a diligent concerted effort, my fitness will continue to backslide.

Enter: the Whole Life Challenge. It could not have come at a better time for me. It is such a great way to reign it back in, and stop this backslide. Here is a little window into the old routine leading up to the challenge. I am a huge fan of pastries, and have always been. It’s pretty easy for me to pick up a muffin or a fine butter croissant. At the end of the week, having more than one is not usually a problem, because I deserve a treat, right? It’s a celebration! It’s also too easy at the end of the day to have a glass of wine at the house with my wife. You add up wine at night for a few months, and a few finely baked delectables and you have a hell of a backslide in your fitness. Oh yeah, I didn’t add in the holidays and a couple weekend trips, either. Needless to say, making exceptions became the norm.

I have noticed, as I have each time doing the challenge the overwhelming clarity that comes after the first week. I feel as if I see clearly, I feel as if I think clearly, and everything seems more crisp. I wake up in the morning with no trouble, other than just being tired. There is no fog, not that I felt foggy before, but now I feel crisp like when you see a duck shake water droplets off its tail. This is how I feel.

So, what I am saying here is, thank you all for being here and participating in this community. The struggle is real and so are the people, but I thank the Lord for the people because the struggle is that much sweeter. Cheers to all of us getting better over the next seven weeks, and then way beyond that. This place is different, and that is why we are so great. In the infamous words of Logey Bear, “Get what you came for.”

 

Danny Lesslie

@dannylesslie