9 weeks to go before my first steps and we start crossing the Mississippi into Wisconsin so I will do weekly updates like this until then.. Although my profile provides the basics on the, who/what/how & whys for doing OLDGUYWALK. This is my attempt to fill in all the spaces.
DISCLAIMER- I am not a writer- (as you will soon find out) but want to share my thoughts via this forum and hopefully not put everyone to sleep. Apologies in advance for taking such a serious tone to this post but I think it is required for the subject at hand
How do you overcome DJD?
I guess first off let me describe what DJD is and where I am in that regard. Osteoarthritis (OA) also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease affects my right knee. I was diagnosed with DJD in the first week of October. Here are the gory details (sorry for being graphic)- Basically I was told that my cartilage cushioning was gone on the inside part of my right knee joint and I have a bone on bone rubbing issue which has caused a flat spot on top of me upper leg femur. To say I was in a state of shock would be an understatement. When told my initial reaction was of denial. How the heck (my language was more colorful at the time) could I have this darn thing- I openly asked myself. Worse yet after meeting with 2 doctors I found out the only corrective option is a total knee replacement -More YIKES!!!
After a few days of moping around the house, reality set in and with my wife's support I decided to continue with the OGW event despite some of the risks involved. The only way to do OGW was to lessen the load on my knee. One Doctor suggested I do more non impact training and even consider a brace. The next decision was to alter my walk into a combined Walking & Biking trip across our fine State. I nixed the idea of a brace because I saw some real issues with as much as I perspire during my work-outs(Any who spins with me can attest to that!- I am a 2 towel type of guy)
Step One- Redefining OGW-
These were definitely my darkest hours since losing my mom. OGW had become to me one of my strongest driving goals to help me deal with that loss. On top of that it made me reflect on the fact that my mom had a knee replacement just a couple years prior to her being told she had cancer. I felt like I was being flushed down life's proverbial drain!
So I went to the YMCA one Saturday morning to get my daughter to her volleyball session and decide to join a s[im class, that's when I met some instructors who have shaped my training since then. I won't mention names but will say that one of these gals has been most instrumental in keeping me going each week. Her generous nature not only inspires me to keep going but it also helped me believe again, instead of continuing with a down in the dumps whoa is me attitude.
Admittedly, I need to say that I thought spin was not my thing and also would not be much of a challenge, especially since I had walked so much before finding out about my knee, and had done a triathlon just the year before. I thought I was in ok shape(HA!!) Let me tell you, that first 45 minutes of trying to stay up with the spin class proved to be a very humbling experience. It also broke down my barriers ridding me of thoughts of failure and my brain started telling me, "I can do this thing".
Then another wonderful thing happened, my wife who was not about to let me get away with using DJD as an excuse to quit, motivated me to join a water aerobics class with her. She talked me into keeping my chin up and to keep moving forward. This class, which we still are doing together, was a great fit for my joint problem and also I find it soothes all the other aches that go along with other parts of my training.
What I got from these 2 activities helped me feel whole again and I jumped into a new mindset.
I started with 3 spin classes and 2 water aerobics classes per week beginning in October and then I would still walk 2 to 3 times a week (about 3-4 miles per walk) This has now evolved into 7-8 spin classes, still doing the water aerobics mixed in twice and upped my walking to about 4-6 miles all in about 5 to 6 days a week.
Future Training-
Being blessed with the most improbable warm winter I can ever recall having (not to mention a very warm spring as well) has really helped me continue to train through-out. I have already pulled out my bike and will start out (April into May) by putting on at least 3- 20 mile bike rides a week while continuing with spin. I also plan on opening our pool early on in Mid -April and changing from my YMCA water class to a H2O aerobics workout at home (3 -4 times a week).
Currnetly I am averaging about 2-3 hours of workout time daily 5-6 times a week which I will need to increase to about 4-5 hours a day by end of May. To accomplish this I wake up 3-4 mornings each week before sunrise (around 5am) to start my day with a 4-5 mile walk. Of course I will still work in a weekly rest day or day's as needed(probably most Sunday's).
My last hard training week I should be able to bike on average between 30-40 miles and walk at least another 8-10 miles a day. When I reach this by the 3rd week of May I will start reducing the workload for a couple of weeks before the OGW begins. I probably will also have another steroid shot to the knee by Mid May and check with my orthopedist one last time before beginning the OGW event.
OGW philosophy on training style-
I can visualize the grimaces on the faces of those Spin instructors, Doctors and my Wife as I write this but it's my philosophy and I am sticking to it. Although I know this may be dumb of me one of the things I have pushed my body, especially my bad leg, to do is experience every possible ache and pain I can withstand. I'm convinced that if I can just deal with the agonies of pushing beyond my limits and increase my threshold tolerance of pain I should be able to handle most of the upcoming unknowns I am about to partake in this June.
Don't worry, I will continue to practice good stretching, warm-up techniques along with eating nutritionally sound foods. I also will prepare for issues such as muscle strains and blistered toes. I will add new and better cushioned footwear to my equipment inventory along with building a daily strategy of how long to walk and how long to bike between planned resting periods. Also because my dad, who is also my road crew, is going to be close by during the entire journey I plan on doing a dry run with him before the end of April.
Then all that should be left to prepare, is pack, gas up the van, put my bike on the back and head west to begin OGW! To everyone following please keep me in your prayers!
OldGuy- next weeks article- anybody's guess??
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Ony 10 weeks left- How am I doing this??
only 10 short weeks before I take my first steps and start crossing the Mississippi into Wisconsin so I will do weekly updates like this until then.. Although my profile provides the basics on the, who/what/how & why's for doing OLDGUYWALK. This is my attempt to fill in all the spaces.
DISCLAIMER- I am not a writer- (as you will soon find out) but want to share my thoughts via this forum and hopefully not put everyone to sleep. Apologies in advance for taking such a serious tone to this post but I think it is required for the subject at hand
How does this OldGuy Walk (OGW) get done. (PART 1)
Most would think it was the other way around but the easiest part is doing the workouts in preparing for the 250 mile trek by foot & pedal across our great State. The hard part is the planning, the coordination and the time management of working full time with 2 kids, 2 dogs, and hopefully a very understanding wife.
Historical snapshot - Feb 2010 - Oct 2011
About 2 years ago I was pushing the scales at 380 pounds finding even my 46-48 inch waist jeans and 3x t-shirts getting snug. Then my wonderful supportive wife Jen suggested we try weight-watchers try to lose a few LBS and get healthy again. I thought it made sense since my doctor said my cholesterol was awful and I had started showing a high risk for diabetes. But dieting and lipitor alone was not the only thing to help get me going. Jen said she could see me reach for a goal of doing a triathlon which at the time made me think she'd lost her marbles. But as little by little weight came off and I was able to walk more and more during the end of winter 2010 I started to feel differently about that crazy women's suggestion and said what the heck GO FOR IT!. First thing I did was make a commitment to myself and also start by telling others I was going to do a triathlon. This established a set goal I was unable to change without admitting I failed. I enlisted a nephew (DJ) and a friend from Madison (Thanks Dan) to join me for encouragement and set out to workout as often as I could setting my sights on completing a Sept Sprint Tri event in Whitewater WI. The event was 500 yards of swimming, followed by 13.7 miles biked and a 5k run to the finish line. Starting in March and all the way through that summer I walked/ran/biked/& swam 5-6 days a week (even at times in the rainy stuff) Getting up at 5:30 am or earlier I was able to pull my out of shape body from the bad direction it was headed and by the time of the event I had dropped about 80 lbs weighing in at 295 and was ready for anything- BRING it ON was my attitude! Well I learned a valuable lesson that day of the TRI, one that I hate to admit was a little bit of a disappointment. I finished dead last among all the men who were in the event, in fact most of the women had better times than me. I still felt some satisfaction that I was able to get back to being a bit more healthy but boy oh boy I wish I would have done better than at least one other guy!!
After the race - After doing the triathlon you'd think I was turning a corner into off the rack clothing stores once again that did not begin with the words- BIG N TALL. Well that's where you would be wrong, you see I went right back into eating poorly and not working out before the 1st frost hit that Fall. I let my satisfaction with my effort over shadow the real reason for doing the triathlon in the first place. It was not about finishing ahead of anyone it was about finishing and to keep on living a healthier lifestyle. So guess what, I gained back 25 pounds in just a few months and just before we poured gravy over the mashed potato's at thanksgiving I was already above the 320lbs mark. That's when something else hit home with another wake up call.
Devastating News for the holiday's - As Christmas fast approached we wanted the family to gather together, Jen's side on Christmas Eve and than my side Christmas day as we had done traditionally since we got married. My Mom whom was quite the hypochondriac in my opinion always complaining about one ache or another was on the phone telling me that the Doctor she had seen thought she had pneumonia.
I scoffed at her , thinking here she was trying to avoid spending another Christmas at my home for gift opening with our kids. (she'd missed several holiday gatherings in past years so I expected it) Well selfish me I was consumed with the "what now Ma "syndrome and never thought it was anything but a bad cold and she was making a big deal over it. (we all know the Cry Wolf story- right). Well as it turns out after being a bit gruff with her only a week earlier and just before Christmas she called again and said the doctors suspected small cell lung cancer and she did not think she would make to my home for gift exchange and opening. Never hearing of such a cancer , I did not believe it (something I will never forgive myself for) "SO OK" I said, and upon telling Jen the news we just went about Christmas activities not expecting her but hoping my dad would join us.
Christmas day came and neither my Dad, Mom or older brother showed up. So my other brother, his wife and nephew and niece along with my Family set off to make the best of a bad situation and start dinner without them. No sooner had we set the table my father and brother arrived (no mom in sight) I then learned that they had just come from the hospital where my mom's diagnosis's was confirmed as small cell lung cancer and a oncologist appointment the following week was set up. At first it was pure shock to me and the rest of the adults but we somehow went through the motions for my young kids sake and continued on with Christmas day festivity's. The next day I called and talked to mom and told her how sorry I was and what we could do next. Guilt ridden over how crappy my attitude was regarding our earlier talks I wanted her to know I would be there all the way to talk to the oncologist and help hold her hand as we looked for treatment options for her. For the first time in my life I saw my Dad who is normally pretty stoic, show an inability to deal with what was being said, I had a pretty hard time dealing with it too!! But Mom needed a hand holder and I was determined I would be there if she needed mine.to hold onto.
The day of appointment came and the Doctor a kind man entered the room and gave the worst news anyone would ever want to hear. Mom was terminal and had very little time based on the test she had already taken. He was clear and concise and said with treatment her life was at best only a few months from ending, without it, just a few weeks. Mom needed to decide her course of action but nothing about it was good. Treatment with radiation and Chemo would only worsen her quality of life but prolong it. Doing nothing meant hospice care when the time came and keeping her as comfortable as possible. In the end she decided to let the cancer take her because she had no fight left in her. She gathered the whole family together a couple days later and told us all what was happening. After a lot of anguished looks shared with some heavy crying and hugging one another we all honored her wishes.
Jen's niece Megan who worked in a nursing home came to look in on Mom the following weeks and help dad out, but within 2-3 weeks Mom needed to be moved into a hospice care facility. Less than 3 weeks later she passed away and I held her hand as much as I could until the end, finally reading her eulogy at the funeral. Feb 4th 2011
What next- Do something!
As I written above my relationship with Mom was not perfect, but the love I had for her was never in doubt. I told my wife that I needed to raise awareness of detection inadequacies for lung cancer and wanted to do some type of tribute to her and raise a donation for any organization the works on this important issue. I googled lung cancer detection research and ultimately found the LUNGevity foundation.
One of my first idea's was to do a Forrest Gump type walk/ run across the country. Jen said I was nuts and talked me part way down from my perch. The 2nd idea I had was to walk from lake Michigan across Wisconsin and the over the Mississippi river crossing into MN. Well she was not sold on it but relented to my aspirations and off I went to start training for this yet to be named event. A month passed and I began in earnest to walk 3-4 miles a day with a day off per week to rest. While training I remembered my times getting ready for the first Tri and started to do some light combo jogging along with the walk. One problem thou I developing this nagging aching pain in my right knee (more on that later) So April came and my first birthday without ma (age 53) and I decided to start walking 2 times a day 3-4 miles each time and build up endurance. I threw event names at Jen for her feedback and also a way to drag into my crazy dream.
We came up with names like the "Fat Guy stroll" or "Fat Old Man walking". She came up with OldGuy Walk. After more pestering for help she even built my Blog and got me set up with a facebook page- OGW came to life and I was on my way!!
Summer time- 2011
Come May - Jen came home from work telling me that her company was doing a wellness program in June called the Ironman Challenge - It was a compilation event that would let you record distance and time to add together over the 30 days in June to complete a full Ironman (6.7 mile swim,112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run (or walk in my case) I embraced this as another goal to achieve and completed the entire activity over 26 days in just 15 hours 7 minutes (thank god we have a pool). Yep I was pretty pumped at this time. But my right knee just did not seem to be feeling better, in fact it was worse.
One of my neighbors who walks down to the bus stops with her her son and my kids in the mornings happened to be a registered nurse and after describing my knee pain to her she said it sounded arthritic. "Nonsense said my inside voice!!" Well by this time Summer was in full swing and by July I was doing 2 to 3 walks per day avg 4-5 miles each. The Knee hurt all the time, even with popping 3 to4 ibuprofen a day and it was getting worse. First I thought maybe I had a ligament issue or a meniscus tear but I pushed through the pain determined not to let it stop me from doing OGW.
August arrived and Jen and I started to talk about the setting a date in 2012. I was now able to do at least 3 to 4 walks daily taking only one day off per week for rest. Getting up at 5am for my first walk and finishing off my last walk around dusk. Then I hit the proverbial knee wall- That 2nd Saturday morning I got up early as usual and decided to walk as far as I could non-stop. Almost 14 miles in fact, but when I finally made it back home my right knee literally locked up and hurt so bad that I could hardly limp through the next 3 days.
Jen said, " CALL THE DOCTOR"! - I did but he happened to be unavailable for 3 weeks because he blew out his Achilles in baseball game, so I was coy and told my wife I needed to wait until Mid Sept to see him and would slow down but kept on trying to build up my endurance (unsuccessfully thou). My knee only slightly improved and again my neighborhood nurse mom said it sounded like arthritis. That's when I started to consider it possible. The day of my doctor appt arrived and he suggested physical therapy and to lighten my load, take shorter walks and less often. I complied still with a firm belief I would heal up and all would be well.
DJD prognosis's - See part 2 next week - How did I continue with OGW?
DISCLAIMER- I am not a writer- (as you will soon find out) but want to share my thoughts via this forum and hopefully not put everyone to sleep. Apologies in advance for taking such a serious tone to this post but I think it is required for the subject at hand
How does this OldGuy Walk (OGW) get done. (PART 1)
Most would think it was the other way around but the easiest part is doing the workouts in preparing for the 250 mile trek by foot & pedal across our great State. The hard part is the planning, the coordination and the time management of working full time with 2 kids, 2 dogs, and hopefully a very understanding wife.
Historical snapshot - Feb 2010 - Oct 2011
About 2 years ago I was pushing the scales at 380 pounds finding even my 46-48 inch waist jeans and 3x t-shirts getting snug. Then my wonderful supportive wife Jen suggested we try weight-watchers try to lose a few LBS and get healthy again. I thought it made sense since my doctor said my cholesterol was awful and I had started showing a high risk for diabetes. But dieting and lipitor alone was not the only thing to help get me going. Jen said she could see me reach for a goal of doing a triathlon which at the time made me think she'd lost her marbles. But as little by little weight came off and I was able to walk more and more during the end of winter 2010 I started to feel differently about that crazy women's suggestion and said what the heck GO FOR IT!. First thing I did was make a commitment to myself and also start by telling others I was going to do a triathlon. This established a set goal I was unable to change without admitting I failed. I enlisted a nephew (DJ) and a friend from Madison (Thanks Dan) to join me for encouragement and set out to workout as often as I could setting my sights on completing a Sept Sprint Tri event in Whitewater WI. The event was 500 yards of swimming, followed by 13.7 miles biked and a 5k run to the finish line. Starting in March and all the way through that summer I walked/ran/biked/& swam 5-6 days a week (even at times in the rainy stuff) Getting up at 5:30 am or earlier I was able to pull my out of shape body from the bad direction it was headed and by the time of the event I had dropped about 80 lbs weighing in at 295 and was ready for anything- BRING it ON was my attitude! Well I learned a valuable lesson that day of the TRI, one that I hate to admit was a little bit of a disappointment. I finished dead last among all the men who were in the event, in fact most of the women had better times than me. I still felt some satisfaction that I was able to get back to being a bit more healthy but boy oh boy I wish I would have done better than at least one other guy!!
After the race - After doing the triathlon you'd think I was turning a corner into off the rack clothing stores once again that did not begin with the words- BIG N TALL. Well that's where you would be wrong, you see I went right back into eating poorly and not working out before the 1st frost hit that Fall. I let my satisfaction with my effort over shadow the real reason for doing the triathlon in the first place. It was not about finishing ahead of anyone it was about finishing and to keep on living a healthier lifestyle. So guess what, I gained back 25 pounds in just a few months and just before we poured gravy over the mashed potato's at thanksgiving I was already above the 320lbs mark. That's when something else hit home with another wake up call.
Devastating News for the holiday's - As Christmas fast approached we wanted the family to gather together, Jen's side on Christmas Eve and than my side Christmas day as we had done traditionally since we got married. My Mom whom was quite the hypochondriac in my opinion always complaining about one ache or another was on the phone telling me that the Doctor she had seen thought she had pneumonia.
I scoffed at her , thinking here she was trying to avoid spending another Christmas at my home for gift opening with our kids. (she'd missed several holiday gatherings in past years so I expected it) Well selfish me I was consumed with the "what now Ma "syndrome and never thought it was anything but a bad cold and she was making a big deal over it. (we all know the Cry Wolf story- right). Well as it turns out after being a bit gruff with her only a week earlier and just before Christmas she called again and said the doctors suspected small cell lung cancer and she did not think she would make to my home for gift exchange and opening. Never hearing of such a cancer , I did not believe it (something I will never forgive myself for) "SO OK" I said, and upon telling Jen the news we just went about Christmas activities not expecting her but hoping my dad would join us.
Christmas day came and neither my Dad, Mom or older brother showed up. So my other brother, his wife and nephew and niece along with my Family set off to make the best of a bad situation and start dinner without them. No sooner had we set the table my father and brother arrived (no mom in sight) I then learned that they had just come from the hospital where my mom's diagnosis's was confirmed as small cell lung cancer and a oncologist appointment the following week was set up. At first it was pure shock to me and the rest of the adults but we somehow went through the motions for my young kids sake and continued on with Christmas day festivity's. The next day I called and talked to mom and told her how sorry I was and what we could do next. Guilt ridden over how crappy my attitude was regarding our earlier talks I wanted her to know I would be there all the way to talk to the oncologist and help hold her hand as we looked for treatment options for her. For the first time in my life I saw my Dad who is normally pretty stoic, show an inability to deal with what was being said, I had a pretty hard time dealing with it too!! But Mom needed a hand holder and I was determined I would be there if she needed mine.to hold onto.
The day of appointment came and the Doctor a kind man entered the room and gave the worst news anyone would ever want to hear. Mom was terminal and had very little time based on the test she had already taken. He was clear and concise and said with treatment her life was at best only a few months from ending, without it, just a few weeks. Mom needed to decide her course of action but nothing about it was good. Treatment with radiation and Chemo would only worsen her quality of life but prolong it. Doing nothing meant hospice care when the time came and keeping her as comfortable as possible. In the end she decided to let the cancer take her because she had no fight left in her. She gathered the whole family together a couple days later and told us all what was happening. After a lot of anguished looks shared with some heavy crying and hugging one another we all honored her wishes.
Jen's niece Megan who worked in a nursing home came to look in on Mom the following weeks and help dad out, but within 2-3 weeks Mom needed to be moved into a hospice care facility. Less than 3 weeks later she passed away and I held her hand as much as I could until the end, finally reading her eulogy at the funeral. Feb 4th 2011
What next- Do something!
As I written above my relationship with Mom was not perfect, but the love I had for her was never in doubt. I told my wife that I needed to raise awareness of detection inadequacies for lung cancer and wanted to do some type of tribute to her and raise a donation for any organization the works on this important issue. I googled lung cancer detection research and ultimately found the LUNGevity foundation.
One of my first idea's was to do a Forrest Gump type walk/ run across the country. Jen said I was nuts and talked me part way down from my perch. The 2nd idea I had was to walk from lake Michigan across Wisconsin and the over the Mississippi river crossing into MN. Well she was not sold on it but relented to my aspirations and off I went to start training for this yet to be named event. A month passed and I began in earnest to walk 3-4 miles a day with a day off per week to rest. While training I remembered my times getting ready for the first Tri and started to do some light combo jogging along with the walk. One problem thou I developing this nagging aching pain in my right knee (more on that later) So April came and my first birthday without ma (age 53) and I decided to start walking 2 times a day 3-4 miles each time and build up endurance. I threw event names at Jen for her feedback and also a way to drag into my crazy dream.
We came up with names like the "Fat Guy stroll" or "Fat Old Man walking". She came up with OldGuy Walk. After more pestering for help she even built my Blog and got me set up with a facebook page- OGW came to life and I was on my way!!
Summer time- 2011
Come May - Jen came home from work telling me that her company was doing a wellness program in June called the Ironman Challenge - It was a compilation event that would let you record distance and time to add together over the 30 days in June to complete a full Ironman (6.7 mile swim,112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run (or walk in my case) I embraced this as another goal to achieve and completed the entire activity over 26 days in just 15 hours 7 minutes (thank god we have a pool). Yep I was pretty pumped at this time. But my right knee just did not seem to be feeling better, in fact it was worse.
One of my neighbors who walks down to the bus stops with her her son and my kids in the mornings happened to be a registered nurse and after describing my knee pain to her she said it sounded arthritic. "Nonsense said my inside voice!!" Well by this time Summer was in full swing and by July I was doing 2 to 3 walks per day avg 4-5 miles each. The Knee hurt all the time, even with popping 3 to4 ibuprofen a day and it was getting worse. First I thought maybe I had a ligament issue or a meniscus tear but I pushed through the pain determined not to let it stop me from doing OGW.
August arrived and Jen and I started to talk about the setting a date in 2012. I was now able to do at least 3 to 4 walks daily taking only one day off per week for rest. Getting up at 5am for my first walk and finishing off my last walk around dusk. Then I hit the proverbial knee wall- That 2nd Saturday morning I got up early as usual and decided to walk as far as I could non-stop. Almost 14 miles in fact, but when I finally made it back home my right knee literally locked up and hurt so bad that I could hardly limp through the next 3 days.
Jen said, " CALL THE DOCTOR"! - I did but he happened to be unavailable for 3 weeks because he blew out his Achilles in baseball game, so I was coy and told my wife I needed to wait until Mid Sept to see him and would slow down but kept on trying to build up my endurance (unsuccessfully thou). My knee only slightly improved and again my neighborhood nurse mom said it sounded like arthritis. That's when I started to consider it possible. The day of my doctor appt arrived and he suggested physical therapy and to lighten my load, take shorter walks and less often. I complied still with a firm belief I would heal up and all would be well.
DJD prognosis's - See part 2 next week - How did I continue with OGW?
Friday, March 16, 2012
11 weeks and counting - What Motivates this Old Guy!
only 11 short weeks before I take my first steps and start crossing the Mississippi into Wisconsin so I will do weekly updates like this until then.. Although my profile provides the basics on the, who/what/how & why's for doing OLDGUYWALK. This is my attempt to fill in all the spaces.
DISCLAIMER- I am not a writer- (as you will soon find out) but want to share my thoughts via this forum and hopefully not put everyone to sleep. Apologies in advance for taking such a serious tone to this post but I think it is required for the subject at hand.
As mentioned last week , here's a list of just some of my motivations while preparing for the OldGuy Walk (OGW) tribute, what keeps me going, and gets me moving out the door, sometimes before dawn.
My List:
OldGuy
DISCLAIMER- I am not a writer- (as you will soon find out) but want to share my thoughts via this forum and hopefully not put everyone to sleep. Apologies in advance for taking such a serious tone to this post but I think it is required for the subject at hand.
As mentioned last week , here's a list of just some of my motivations while preparing for the OldGuy Walk (OGW) tribute, what keeps me going, and gets me moving out the door, sometimes before dawn.
My List:
- FEAR - I won't lie folks this emotion has plenty of traction and many layers. One of my biggest fears is one of failure, which pushes me to get up early, workout 3-4 times a day and ultimately attempt to cross the Cheesehead State. I also have fear of injury which I put out of my mind, but heck the fact is I have a bone on bone issue in my right knee those meds can only take me so far. I pray everyday I will complete this walk before my leg stops working. Other fears include safety factors (avoiding traffic!) and dealing with bad weather (especially rain). I know I need to be in the best shape I can be!!!
- OVERCOMING - Proving to myself and others that a overweight out of shape 54 year old can actually do this. Part of me wants to prove the doctors wrong, another is to prove to myself that mind over matter and shear willpower will get me thru. I am not at all athletic but I gain strength from those who have supported OGW.
- BURYING DEMONS - these include a feeling of helplessness when I was dealing with my mothers plight. Hoping to have my family, especially my dad be proud of me considering all the times in my past I let them down..
- LOVE &RESPECT - from my wife, kids and the rest of the family - I hope my example of faith will be something they can reflect on in the future when I am no longer here.
- BUCKET LIST - Call it what you want but adding a special accomplishment in life.
- TRAINERS - Those YMCA folks who spend their time helping people like me to get healthy and active
- DONATIONS- Although it has been slow going to get this snowball to grow I am still pushing it along and hope that you good folks who follow my blog help start spreading the word to make this OGW a worthy success. I can't do it alone!
OldGuy
Friday, March 9, 2012
12 Weeks before OldGuyWalk begins!
only 12 weeks before I take my first steps and start crossing the Mississippi into Wisconsin so I will do weekly updates like this until then.. Although my profile provides the basics on the, who/what/how & why's for doing OLDGUYWALK. This is my attempt to fill in all the spaces.
DISCLAIMER- I am not a writer- (as you will soon find out) but want to share my thoughts via this forum and hopefully not put everyone to sleep. Apologies in advance for taking such a serious tone to this post but I think it is required for the subject at hand.
*What inspires people has so many types/variables and it can change over time from years, days, to just hours or moments. Although some compare inspiration to motivation they have subtle differences.
Not certain if I understand every word from the definition's listed above but I'll take a crack at expressing what inspires me and the inspiration behind OldGuyWalk (OGW). I will address motivation in a future posting.
~~~~~~~
From a big picture view OGW is inspired by the loss of a loved one. This too has several layers to the onion.
-How my mom accepted her fate and faced her last days with dignity and love for all around her inspires me to be a better person.
-The awful revelation on my mother's fateful day by the oncologist that because of her advanced stage of lung cancer there was little they could do to extend her life, that inspires me out of sorrow, then anger and frustration! (FACT- this happens to over 85% of lung cancer patients)
-Having no simple early cancer detection testing available to the public- confused inspiration. I want to raise awareness and hope others will join me in sending a message to the medical world asking for better detection methods (maybe as simple as a blood test during a routine physical).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From a less extensive point of view - what inspires me daily is hearing my kids play or say I love you in the morning or at bedtime - just getting them dressed and out the door in time for the School Bus inspires me too (most parents know this inspiration)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Somewhere in the middle, my inspiration comes from those that surround me, some whom I know directly others I admire from afar.
An example of direct people who inspire me are the stronger then iron YMCA instructors most of which volunteer their time because they were inspired and want to inspire others. Plus I need to mention my fellow spin or water aerobic participant's. The varied story lines shared inspires me each time we chat about whatever is happening in their daily lives.
From afar the research oncologists are a very strong inspiration to me. I respect and admire the time they invest looking for ways to unlock clues into detection and treatments for this terrible disease. Please check out this link - http://events.lungevity.org/site/PageServer?pagename=v2_Research for more (click on lung cancer experts)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Then there are the funnels of other inspirations that come with living life in general. Having a successful day at work. Seeing a someone help a stranger, by holding the door open as they push a stroller thru the entrance. Attending church service on Sunday's, even some movies, or shows on TV can send those feelings into us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So let me jump on my soapbox and say , where ever you find inspiration I hope it pulls at your heartstrings and pushes you into trying to make a difference, only all of us together can make it a better world! Some say personal accomplishment is inspiring, so when I take that last step on my journey I will selfishly hope to experience that feeling of inspiring someone!!
In conclusion, regardless of what is donated, OGW is a symbolic effort.. I believe completing this challenge will legitimize my voice to be recognized by the health community so I can ask the tough question, "when will we be able to detect lung cancer in a patient before they are already lost"?
OldGuy
Next Week- Motivations
DISCLAIMER- I am not a writer- (as you will soon find out) but want to share my thoughts via this forum and hopefully not put everyone to sleep. Apologies in advance for taking such a serious tone to this post but I think it is required for the subject at hand.
*What inspires people has so many types/variables and it can change over time from years, days, to just hours or moments. Although some compare inspiration to motivation they have subtle differences.
Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines the word inspiration as “a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him to receive and communicate heartfelt revelation. They define the word inspire The action or power of moving the intellect or, “to influence, move, or guide by divine or supernatural inspiration,or emotions.”
The World Dictionary defines motivation as 1. the act or an instance of motivating, 2. desire to do; interest or drive
The World Dictionary defines motivation as 1. the act or an instance of motivating, 2. desire to do; interest or drive
3. incentive or inducement , 4. psychol the process that arouses, sustains and regulates human and animal behaviour
Not certain if I understand every word from the definition's listed above but I'll take a crack at expressing what inspires me and the inspiration behind OldGuyWalk (OGW). I will address motivation in a future posting.
~~~~~~~
From a big picture view OGW is inspired by the loss of a loved one. This too has several layers to the onion.
-How my mom accepted her fate and faced her last days with dignity and love for all around her inspires me to be a better person.
-The awful revelation on my mother's fateful day by the oncologist that because of her advanced stage of lung cancer there was little they could do to extend her life, that inspires me out of sorrow, then anger and frustration! (FACT- this happens to over 85% of lung cancer patients)
-Having no simple early cancer detection testing available to the public- confused inspiration. I want to raise awareness and hope others will join me in sending a message to the medical world asking for better detection methods (maybe as simple as a blood test during a routine physical).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From a less extensive point of view - what inspires me daily is hearing my kids play or say I love you in the morning or at bedtime - just getting them dressed and out the door in time for the School Bus inspires me too (most parents know this inspiration)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Somewhere in the middle, my inspiration comes from those that surround me, some whom I know directly others I admire from afar.
An example of direct people who inspire me are the stronger then iron YMCA instructors most of which volunteer their time because they were inspired and want to inspire others. Plus I need to mention my fellow spin or water aerobic participant's. The varied story lines shared inspires me each time we chat about whatever is happening in their daily lives.
From afar the research oncologists are a very strong inspiration to me. I respect and admire the time they invest looking for ways to unlock clues into detection and treatments for this terrible disease. Please check out this link - http://events.lungevity.org/site/PageServer?pagename=v2_Research for more (click on lung cancer experts)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Then there are the funnels of other inspirations that come with living life in general. Having a successful day at work. Seeing a someone help a stranger, by holding the door open as they push a stroller thru the entrance. Attending church service on Sunday's, even some movies, or shows on TV can send those feelings into us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So let me jump on my soapbox and say , where ever you find inspiration I hope it pulls at your heartstrings and pushes you into trying to make a difference, only all of us together can make it a better world! Some say personal accomplishment is inspiring, so when I take that last step on my journey I will selfishly hope to experience that feeling of inspiring someone!!
In conclusion, regardless of what is donated, OGW is a symbolic effort.. I believe completing this challenge will legitimize my voice to be recognized by the health community so I can ask the tough question, "when will we be able to detect lung cancer in a patient before they are already lost"?
OldGuy
Next Week- Motivations
Thursday, March 1, 2012
13 Weeks And Counting - Who am I??
I only have 13 weeks before I take my first steps and start crossing the Mississippi into Wisconsin so I will do weekly updates like this until then.. Although my profile provides the basics on the, who/what/how & why's for doing OLDGUYWALK. This is my attempt to fill in all the spaces.
DISCLAIMER- I am not a writer- (as you will soon find out) but want to share my thoughts via this forum and hopefully not put everyone to sleep.
First Chapter- A little self-reflection "Who am I" ?
OldGuy Stats-
Born April 1958 -" Ricky Robert”
Father; Richard Charles
Mother; Joyce Marie
Place of Birth: Milwaukee County Hospital
Weight: 6lbs 9oz - Length; 22 inches
2 brothers - Oldest; Roy Richard, youngest; Michael Paul
The story goes that my parents did not want to name me Richard because my older brother already had my dad's name as his middle name. From what I've been told my first name was based after a couple of popular 50's family sitcom's children's names (I LOVE LUCY & THE OZZIE and HARRIET SHOW) aka -"Little Ricky and/or Ricky Nelson" Thus began my days to getting used to being the brunt of some snickers and bad jokes.(especially now at 54 when called in the Doctors office) To say the least I needed to develop a thick skin sooner than most (kids can be so mean). In a way thou, this was the best gift my parents could give, because I had to learn to laugh at myself early on just to survive! I believe being able to not take yourself too seriously is one of the better qualities a person can have. In my case it keeps me humble along with providing a underlining tenacity to keep striving to overcome!
Between ages 7-13 I was always the shy fat kid that was the last to be picked for group sports on the playground. That all changed when I between my freshman and sophomore HS years I shot up 6 inches in height while dropping over 30 pounds. Suddenly I was over 6 feet tall and getting my driver’s license- wow my poor parents never knew what hit them!
Thru my teens, like most, I was a bit rebellious but all hell broke loose when I entered my 20's, and I really started to buck authority (long story). One of the coolest things I’ve done, even thou I had a tin ear, is self-teach myself to play guitar, ultimately joining a band (name "HIGH RISK') where we entered into a Battle of the Bands contest(lost) and cut 1 demo tape- needless to say the gig did not pay the bills.
I don't know how but I must be blessed because I finally found a lady willing to put up with me, whom I married late in life (after turning 40). Married life has been the most wonderful thing that an ex-bum like me could ever expect. 14 years now, we have 2 children (Girl & Boy) a couple of dogs and a nice home. I pinch myself daily trying to figure out how I got so lucky.
In a nutshell that's who I am. On the outside a nice guy, a pretty simple Joe, on the inside a passionate driven nutjob who always needs to watch his temper – (just ask my wife)!
... next What inspired me to do OGW?
OldGuy
DISCLAIMER- I am not a writer- (as you will soon find out) but want to share my thoughts via this forum and hopefully not put everyone to sleep.
First Chapter- A little self-reflection "Who am I" ?
OldGuy Stats-
Born April 1958 -" Ricky Robert”
Father; Richard Charles
Mother; Joyce Marie
Place of Birth: Milwaukee County Hospital
Weight: 6lbs 9oz - Length; 22 inches
2 brothers - Oldest; Roy Richard, youngest; Michael Paul
The story goes that my parents did not want to name me Richard because my older brother already had my dad's name as his middle name. From what I've been told my first name was based after a couple of popular 50's family sitcom's children's names (I LOVE LUCY & THE OZZIE and HARRIET SHOW) aka -"Little Ricky and/or Ricky Nelson" Thus began my days to getting used to being the brunt of some snickers and bad jokes.(especially now at 54 when called in the Doctors office) To say the least I needed to develop a thick skin sooner than most (kids can be so mean). In a way thou, this was the best gift my parents could give, because I had to learn to laugh at myself early on just to survive! I believe being able to not take yourself too seriously is one of the better qualities a person can have. In my case it keeps me humble along with providing a underlining tenacity to keep striving to overcome!
Between ages 7-13 I was always the shy fat kid that was the last to be picked for group sports on the playground. That all changed when I between my freshman and sophomore HS years I shot up 6 inches in height while dropping over 30 pounds. Suddenly I was over 6 feet tall and getting my driver’s license- wow my poor parents never knew what hit them!
Thru my teens, like most, I was a bit rebellious but all hell broke loose when I entered my 20's, and I really started to buck authority (long story). One of the coolest things I’ve done, even thou I had a tin ear, is self-teach myself to play guitar, ultimately joining a band (name "HIGH RISK') where we entered into a Battle of the Bands contest(lost) and cut 1 demo tape- needless to say the gig did not pay the bills.
I don't know how but I must be blessed because I finally found a lady willing to put up with me, whom I married late in life (after turning 40). Married life has been the most wonderful thing that an ex-bum like me could ever expect. 14 years now, we have 2 children (Girl & Boy) a couple of dogs and a nice home. I pinch myself daily trying to figure out how I got so lucky.
In a nutshell that's who I am. On the outside a nice guy, a pretty simple Joe, on the inside a passionate driven nutjob who always needs to watch his temper – (just ask my wife)!
... next What inspired me to do OGW?
OldGuy
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