I thought about writing a long, drawn out, take-forever-to-get-to-the-point introduction to keep you captivated for a while…but…I’ll make it easy. I got diagnosed with asthma this week. In the best cardio shape of my life mind you, so there’s that. And, this is also the week that I decided to set a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) for myself. I’ve only shared this goal with three or four of my closest friends and family, so, more to come on that in the future. But in about 10 months it will all make sense!
A few months ago I went on a mountain bike ride on the Little Cottonwood Trail. Basically it is a dirt road that climbs. And climbs. And climbs. For a few miles. But it’s not a nice hard packed dirt road, it is pretty rocky, loose, and did I mention that it climbs? I definitely wouldn’t classify it as a pleasant ride, but the downhill is oh so fun! On one of the more stout pushes I noticed that I could barely breathe, requiring a break and a few minutes to cool down before rolling again. This eye opening experience caused me to reflect on other experiences, which, along with some family history, pointed to me having asthma.
I should have known. Mish probably has known for years. In fact, I’m sure she did know and was just being patient. But I don’t think I wanted to believe it, or maybe I just didn’t want to deal with it. I have avoided the doctor’s office for the last few years because I knew the answer to pretty much everything would be “eat better, exercise, and lose weight”. And, since I “knew” all the “answers,” I didn’t want to deal with the shame of being told the obvious. So, here I was-after years of struggling with breathing issues and chalking it up to weight problems-finally seeking answers.
I need to say, I am actually kind of excited to have a diagnosis. The years of struggling with cardio, struggling to see any progress in running, and thinking it was just me being out of shape are over. Large parts of my life are starting to become more and more clear. Plus, this just adds another layer to my personal journey! I now get to overcome weight problems AND asthma. I know this all sounds pretty stereotypical of an overweight person, and that actually makes this just a bit more fun for me. See, we are so quick to judge others and apply what we think we know to each person we meet. It happens to me all the time. For example, the medical assistant taking my vitals this week was concerned that my blood pressure was too low until she found out that I have been cycling 50-100 miles per week for about 6 months and now running 15-20 miles per week for the last few weeks. Magically, I went from being an overweight guy with low blood pressure, to someone that was in good shape. Imagine that. (I don’t say this to disrespect her, in fact, she was great at what she did. She was very kind and helpful and it was a pleasure to interact with her. There was absolutely no harm intended, and I must add, no offense taken. But, it is very easy to let our first impressions get the better of us. We don’t always know the full story, and until we do, we would do everyone a favor by simply seeking to understand.)
So, I am looking forward to what the future holds for me. Instead of viewing this recent news as a setback, I take it as motivation. I have done awesome things with sub-optimal lung function. And I will continue to do awesome things. So, my inhaler and I have big plans for the future!
A quick weight loss update: I just crossed the 80 pound mark this morning, and September is quite the month already! As of this morning I am down roughly 4.5 pounds for the month. Oddly, just on Monday I was starting to feel down and like I was never going to reach my goals, even while actively making progress towards them. Our greatest enemy and most valuable tool is our mind.
If you have questions about anything I am experiencing or doing, please contact me here!
See ya next week!
Run, Fat A**, RUN! 