Potato is a Shape

    29 years old. Why do I bring that up? That was my magic age, my peak of fitness. But at what cost? Back story time.....

   Yesterday in our 2nd degree brown belt meeting we were discussing our fitness level. I knew the exact point in my life when I was at my "peak" of fitness. I was 29 years old. I went to Gold's Gym every morning for 2 hours before work and then for 2 hours after work, everyday. I had no life but the gym. I did cardio like I was running from a fire, I did Muay Thai kick boxing 3 days a week, I dabbled with free weights, so on and so on. I was 167lbs, 4% body fat, lean and mean. I ate food like it had no consequence. I was a vibrating ball of unusable energy, unable to focus that said energy. I was always on the go. I was not who I wanted to be, but I was fit. It wasn't good.

   Fast forward to now. I am 221lbs, 51 year old, body fat is like 346%, and I am shaped much more like a potato than Adonis. I look in my mental rear view mirror and I sigh, " I remember when I was (fit)(thin)(etc)...", but here is the thing, my "29" wasn't sustainable. I was always starving, I was always sore and injured, I had no use for any of my fitness. I was angry, directionless, everything annoyed me. My fitness obsession was burning me out. I was headed for both permanent physical and emotional damage. It was unsustainable! It had to stop. 

   Enter Deb. My partner into who I am now, my everything. My wife. My life.

   So here I am, on the road to grading in about 4ish months. Do I wish I was my "29" fitness, well of course I do. But that is totally unrealistic. All I can do at this point in my life is give my all, hold nothing back, but most importantly, make it sustainable! Eat properly, maintain a regular workout routine, look after my overall health, love my family and friends, and of course, savor my Kung Fu. 

   Grading is daunting, but so is life. Am I worried about grading, no. It is a gauge not a judgement. It is a tool not a hoop. I am actually really excited for it, I want to strut my stuff, full on peacock feathers! Not because of ego, but because of life. Grading is a pit stop on my journey, I will continue on regardless of the outcome. Bring it on, I'm not getting any younger you know.