On Monday - as she has done several times - my wife reminded me that diabetes runs in my family. I have a great ability to not care about things I should care about, my health included, so I've been ignoring her reminders.
Well, it sunk in a little this time.
So, now I'm setting some goals and planning how to achieve them - and I'm asking my readers to help keep my backpedaling backside honest.
Here's the short-term goal: By the end of the summer (Sept. 21), I will complete at least one area 5K road race. I have to believe there's at least one being held in the area in those final two weeks of summer (I have a backup goal just in case).
If hundreds of area high school runners can get themselves in shape to run an almost identical distance during cross country season, there's no reason I can't.
The plan is simple: At least three times a week, I need to run.
I'm not planning on going gangbusters right away. I have no illusions about my current condition. It's pathetic. I need to be able to make it around North's track twice without stopping first, something I couldn't do the last time I tried several months ago (a depressing admission from someone who ran a 5:36 mile as a freshman in high school).
But I need to get out there and do something. If all it is is jogging 200 meters, walking 200, jogging 200, walking 200 and so forth for a mile or two, that's better than sitting on my sofa inhaling Krispy Kremes, chugging soda and sabotaging my quality of life.
In a month, I want to be able to consistently run a mile without stopping. In two, I should be able to get through a 5K run. It doesn't have to be pretty. It just has to be.
At least two other times a week, I need to spend at least an hour doing some kind of excercise. It can be swimming, basketball, tennis, the workout video, whatever.
The long-term goal is to keep running beyond the summer, the sole purpose (pun intended) being to stay in reasonable, active shape.
The plan starts today. If I back out of this one, I have to answer to all of you.
I like it that way.
Dan Kauffman is a staff writer for The Morning Herald. His column appears every other Thursday. He can be reached at 301-733-5131, ext. 7520, or by e-mail at kauffman@herald-mail.com
