The Big Goal

Today I set a goal on my way to the gym.  I will swim one mile.  I had never swam a mile before, been close a few times, but never did it.  Today, I swam a mile.  While I swam I reflected on my life for the last seven years.  The last seven years have been tough.  Four job changes, racking up debt from a failed business, and just being a husband and dad.  Through this stressful time I had the unwavering support of my beautiful wife.  Without her I don't think I could have made it. No, I know I would not have made it, but I didn't come out unscathed.  I gained a lot of weight.  What can I say, I'm a stress eater and I had a lot of stress to eat.


Earlier this year the State of Oklahoma teacher's insurance program started a pilot program to greatly reduce the cost of Weight Loss surgery.  I immediately contacted the doctor and got an appointment to talk.  While going through the preliminary appointments with the Exercise Guy and the Food Girl and the Mind Lady a have lost almost 40 lbs in six months.  I have a new sense of self.  I am a teacher. I am happy being a teacher.  I am good at being a teacher.  I have spent the last seven years trying to be something else for someone else.  From the Exercise Guy I learned I know what to do.  I just need to do it.  From the Food Girl I learned how to eat better and less and still enjoy food and that the post surgery diet and possible complications scare me, and from the Mind Lady I learned to not let doctors and staff bully me into a decision and I have got to make decision that work for me.  I truly believe my weight gain was a lack of direction and self awareness.  I don't know if surgery is the answer for me.  I greatly respect individuals who have made this decision, but I may lose the ability to check off one of my bucket list items if I do weight loss surgery.  I believe surgery would make it too difficult to train for this goal, but I think this goal will require a similar lifestyle change with less of a chance for the scary complications.

I have said several times, I will train for the Willow Creek Triathlon in Enid.  I have never done it.   So my first Intermediate goal is to complete this Triathlon in 2014.  I have set so many goals and not finished them. So in an attempt to avoid surgery. I am making a very large long term goal.  This blog will be the story of my journey to reach this goal.  I hope you will help and encourage me along the way.  It started with reflecting in the pool today and reaching a small goal I randomly set for myself.  I will be setting lots of goals a hopefully celebrating a lot of small victories within these post so please join me on my journey to the:

By the time I am 50 years old I will complete a full Ironman Triathlon!