Random As Rhyme

About six or so months ago I made a decision to lead a healthier life. I was never an unhealthy person but a series of health related issues caused me to really get my but in gear and try and keep myself in good shape for the years to come.

I was coming off a year of riding related knee injuries (Prepatellar bursitis) and was finding myself really tired in the afternoons and getting kind of soft. These two things alone didn’t trigger much of a change in my lifestyle.  I started taking inflammatory medication for my knee as needed and hit my basement gym a little bit more. Little did I know that two real kicks in the pants was about to come.

Around September 2008 I started to  get migraines, really bad migraines.  I felt like my body was attacking me and according to my Dr. there was seemingly nothing I could do about it other than take daily medication, blood pressure medication, like some old out of shape man. I found this really depressing being 24 and dependent on daily medication. I decided that this simply wouldn’t do and searched the internet for other ways to combat migraines.

I learned that leading a healthy life style with balanced amounts of sleep and physical activity greatly reduced the amount of migraines sufferers experienced.

So I decided to increase my physical activity. Sure I already rode two to three times a week but my body was used to that, it had adapted I had to bring something else into the mix.

So I joined a men’s hockey league (ASHL) with some high school friends and signed up  for fitness boxing at Hurontario Community center. Hockey I knew I would love again the instant I stepped back on the ice but boxing I had no idea I would like as much as I do.

I started boxing as much as I ride (twice a week) and the instructor, Andy Dumas, and other members have been helping advance my training as far as I am willing to take it.

On New years 2008 through the 2nd of January I was kicked again, while making a steak and lobster dinner with my girlfriend I came down with the stomach flu and was laid up on the couch/curled over the toilet for two days. It was the sickest I have been in a long, long time, and I lost all of my water weight and could not really eat solid food for a few days after.

Instead of writing the entire year off and sleeping until 2010 I decided to start making conscious choices to eat better. I never ate terribly, and don’t obscenely healthy now, but I take a minute or two to look at the nutritional information of what I am eating and glance at the menu for a healthier choice. I have actually only bought one lunch this year so far!

These live style choices have defiantly made an effect on me. Cardiovascular wise I am probably in the best shape I have ever been, and I am also at my leanest (healthy leanest not sick leanest)  and while I have been bigger muscle wise I am pretty happy with my strength and looks.

However I am not going to  rest on my laurels,  I recently picked up “Knockout Fintess” and came across two online programs I am going to work  through: hundredpushups and twohundredsitups. To keep myself more motivated I have decided to take pictures over the course of each six  week program and post them on here.

For the  dudes hopefully this is an inspiration, for the ladies  some eye candy.

I did the initial hundredpushups test and I did 24 consecutive push ups wish means I have to start on week 3 so here we go. Week 3.