Guest blogger,David Zarkowsky’s weight loss success story. How others inspired him to run for the first time. Read how he did it!
My weight loss success began to teach me about my health and it also expanded my knowledge of exercises. Others Inspired me to run for the first time. I was excited to keep my feet moving, and nothing was going to stop me!
My weight lifting routine elevated, regimen and technique fine-tuned. As my body changed, I began to notice other’s body construct. John’s back, Doug’s calves, Kadian’s thighs. I observed and most importantly asked questions.
As Spring bloomed, I opened my eyes to notice the increasing numbers of runners.
I still didn’t get it.
Then, I notice a Cross Country team prancing through the streets. With my newfound eye towards body composition, I saw their astounding lean musculature.
Now, it clicked. To quote Yeats “like the click of a well made box.”
I want to be leaner.
The cross country runners are thin
What are they doing that I am not?
DUH, RUNNING.
How I Started To Run For The First Time
From that moment on, I quickly morphed into an extreme frequency runner. Starting with 1-2 miles four days per week, I soon progressed to 2-5 miles six days per week. Some days, I ran twice. Certain weeks, I took no more than two days off. To this day, I never stop when running. Slow down, yes. Run in place at a stop light, sure. But never stop. Heat, pre/post operation hernia, I don’t stop. Only once, when slightly light headed, did I stop. Remember, learn to listen to your body.
After nearly six weeks, I ran the Brighton Food Cupboard 5K. Knowing my average mile hovers near 11 minutes, running with others pushed me to a 9 ½ minute average. For a period, I called my running regimen the DiMaggio Campaign as I tried to run for 56 consecutive days as Joltin’ Joe hit in 56 consecutive baseball games. I don’t remember making it past 15 days on a few occasions.
Intuitively, you may understand that the running mentioned above frequency occurred not simply because I wanted to become leaner.
Running cleared my head.
Running made anger, bitterness, resentment pure refuse.
Running was my refuge.
Smart people read.
Healthy people exercise.
Lean, fit people, run.
After four solid months running, I was 9 months into my 12-month journey losing 80 pounds. I would NEVER see 200 on the scale again!
