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At 178 centimeters and 78 kilograms,
many would not say that I am out of
shape; a transformation definitely
would not be as miraculous as a 300
kg. man, too voluminous to get
through the front door of his house,
later bounding through the streets
in the Vancouver Sun Run. But it
would be as important.
Years ago, it would have meant
nothing to hop on a bicycle and go
for a 80 km ride or take a
challenging hike in the coastal
mountains. Now, that little bulge
around my middle peers over my belt
at my boots and says, “You’re gonna
do what?” As for the rest of me, I
would be a tasty morsel for wildlife
in those mountains now, as I’m
nicely marbled—just the right blend
of fat and protein for optimal
taste.
But most importantly, as a high
school teacher, I have always
believed that you can only
authentically teach what you
are—what you believe in, what you do
and what you apply in your own
life. I know there is a part of me
that has been avoiding talking too
much about fit lifestyles in my CAPP
classes as I’ve been avoiding that
for many years myself. But I would
like to be able to stand in front of
the classroom and point to that
nonexistent entity around my waist
and say, “This is how you get fit.”
In addition, I would be able to do
that with the increased energy,
vitality and mental clarity that
regular exercise affords. It was
never the long staff meetings that
made my mind fuzzy, but the 6-inch
diameter cookies and the short walks
to the car afterwards.
Once the 16 weeks are completed, I
would have gained much then. I
would have gained: much of the
fitness of my 20’s, improved mental
alertness, the ability to make
better food choices, to be able to
teach about nutrition and fitness
authentically in my classroom and, I
hope, a whole lot of fun.
My goals would be to bring my body
fat content to 12%--down from its
current 21% (and that fat scale,
purchased at 18% body fat, was
supposed to motivate me to lose
more). I want to increase muscle
mass, lose fat, develop the habit of
regular exercise and be able to look
those 6 inch cookies square in the
chocolate chips and say, “NO!”
Because I had wanted my wife and I
to be considered together for this
opportunity, my biggest obstacle
will be to get her to write her
essay! But aside from the choice
she makes, if I’m chosen, my biggest
challenge will be to pull my marbled
butt from whatever I was doing to
exercise. I’ve always been aware
that I enjoy it once I start, but
that part of my brain seems to be
kept under close guard by Couch
Potato Control until it is able to
escape when HQ parties under the
influence of all those endorphins.
And once done, I would be able to
stand tall--rather than in an
untoned, muscle—atrophied,
half-Neanderthal pose--and say, “I
did it.”
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