SethMathers.com

Over the last few months, I have made another attempt to get back into running and changing my eating habits.

The running has been enjoyable this time. I have done been doing shorter distances and have been working on not being hard on myself when I don’t run as faster or faster than I did the previous day. Part of that has more to do with not caring to remember what my run times have been from one run to the next. I know a decrease in my times and increase in distance will come as I put in the time and effort.

My neighbor Nick, is in pretty good shape. Who am I kidding, he is in amazing shape. He looks like he could be put into any issues of a men’s fitness magazine. He would fit right in with all the other fitness models with cut muscles and chiseled abs.

It takes a lot of dedication and planning. Right now he is working out three times a day and has to be meticulous with what he eats.

I too am in shape right now. That shape, however, resembles an 80 lbs sack of potatoes has been tried around my waist.

I needed to run the other night and I knew he would be heading out to the gym for his evening work out so I reached out to him.

I tagged along as he did 40 minutes of cardio. I too did 40 minutes of cardio.

It was more than my typical 20 minutes that I have been doing.

I felt great to get my legs moving. I even got the treadmill up to an 8 minute mile briefly.

I was drenched in sweat. My shirt couldn’t have been any wetter. In fact, it was so wet it started to make my shorts wet. I seriously looked like I peed myself.

I’m not going to lie. I have been a little hesitant to go with him. As normal as it is for me to be covered in sweat when I work out, I haven’t been in a gym environment like that for a few years. I felt out of place. Like I didn’t belong. Which is weird because I have spent hours in a gym before and I have a degree in exercise science. Tavia and I had a rec center membership but the rec center is a completely different animal than going to Vasa Fitness.

Here I am covered in sweat. Easily 60 pounds overweight.

There were beautiful people everywhere. Fit people everywhere.

But not one of those beautiful or fit people came up and told me I was fat.

Not one person said I didn’t belong.

Not one person told me that I was running to slow on the treadmill.

They might have been thinking it but they didn’t say it.

More than likely they all had their own    they were dealing with as they were working out.

Their own insecurities.

Their own goals.

They were focused on what they were doing.

They weren’t focused on me.

I can’t wait to go back.

Maybe then someone will come up and tell me I have a great beard.