Line in the Sand

"It's been ten years strong,

        That's much too long,

                It's time to do something good for my health,

                      Time to do something good for myself..."

                                                  ("Bug Eyes" by Dredg)

Within the past couple years I've been applying (or trying to) a powerful principle:

           "Never leave the scene of a decision without taking an action step in its direction."

A line has been drawn in the sand of my life. There's no movie-like experience, no surreal epiphany, no trauma that's occurred that's causing this line to be drawn. No, it's just a plain ol' decision. A "for crying out loud, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" decision. A life decision. And I'm letting the world know about it. This way, I'm accountable to you all. I've spoken it into existence, and as of today it becomes a part of the Jeff Ulrich that's publicly known. 

In senior year of high school I weighed 225 lbs. At that weight I bench pressed 250 lbs., I could squat 400 lbs., and ran a 4.8 40-yard dash - I was about the 3rd fastest on our varsity football team by my recollection. (The picture above was me at 20, 2 years removed from senior year, but in roughly the same shape)

In these years since, I've gradually become someone, physically, that I certainly shouldn't be at only 31, as a father of two young boys, and as a husband to a beautiful woman. It's time to put to an end this pitiful slide that has seen me ride the excuses of a busy grown-up's life like a rented mule. Tonight, that mule is being taken out back and given the shotgun treatment, cuz it needs to be put out of its misery. 

I'm tired of self-deprecating jokes. I'm tired of using the lines like "Hey, I'm in shape - round is a shape," or "I've got a six-pack under my keg," etc around other out-of-shape guys. I'm tired of being a prisoner to the reality that I let years of raising children, holding down stressful jobs, not always having money for the healthiest foods, or being "too busy" to work out, rob me of being in the kind of fitness I owe to myself. 

I'm done with hating what I see in the mirror. I'm done with not wanting my picture taken. I'm done with aches and pains that can be passed off onto other sources but that also have to do with being overweight. I'm done with never having the energy to tackle life's challenges, AND my continually buried ambitions, with the vigor that I want. I'm done with feeling like picking clothes to wear is a choice between evils. I'm done with lying to myself that when my blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol are always just fine at doctor visits that it means I'm "healthy." I'm done with the discontent, the lack of self-confidence, the bitterness, and the sloth...and knowing that it's all my fault. 

So here is the line in the sand. It starts here and now, once and for all. This is a mission that is NOT impossible. With my God Almighty behind me, I will not and cannot fail. 

My action step is this:

Between today and April 26th, 2015 I will be training for a 5K run in Milwaukee. It's called Sweet Home Milwaukee 5K, and its open for registration. Here's the link:

sweethomemilwaukee.weebly.com

For some of you out there this would be a joke. My own father, for example, runs this distance multiple times every week. It's a part of the habits he's maintained all his life. That is not my story though. For me, it'll mean a revolution of fitness in MY life. It'll mean pushing through plantar fasciitis and low back pain whenever I walk for more than a half mile. It'll mean getting my knees used to the feel of jogging, and getting my lungs used to running for long periods of time. It'll mean getting used to running 3.2 miles (5K) often enough that, come 4-25-15, I'll be able to PUSH myself to clock a great time on Race Day. 

This will be a huge, personal victory that I've been needing to go get for myself for a long time. And the intention is, it'll be a springboard to a consistently healthier future than what I've allowed myself in the past out of cowardice. 

By the way, I'm officially inviting anyone who reads this to join me that day, no matter where you are, to come out to Milwaukee and run the lakefront and enjoy the push. I can only imagine how cool it would be for me to culminate this long winter of training by seeing friends from everywhere gather - if you could - to support me and also do yourself the favor of making the run. Maybe some of you need to do something like this for YOURself too. A couple of you will be getting calls of personal request to run this with me, since I'll really hope for accountability partners in this journey. 

I am simultaneously filled with a jaw-clenched determination...and fear. I have so long to go....but I must. I've tried to start before and quit....but I can't this time. I've lived with a lot of lies about how important fitness is.....but those lies must be replaced with a new truth. I'm going to get weary, and feel like I don't have the support to make it...but I owe this to myself, to my kids, to my wife, and to everyone else in my life who'll gain from having a healthier Jeff around. 

This is a battle that's a long time coming. I'm putting on my mental armor and bracing for the fight with myself. I need you all to help me though, too. I would appreciate all the prayers and encouragement you're all willing to dish out. Thank you.

Right now a stern Bible passage that I've chosen to not apply more closely in my life is very much on my mind:

"You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies." 

           - 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20

I will do this for my own sake. Yep. And I will do this to ensure I'm around and healthy for my family's sake. Indeed. But most of all..........I will do this to honor my God. I will do this to make a thanksgiving sacrifice that shows my Savior that I appreciate from deep down in my ferocious, courageous, capable male heart that he saved me and punched my ticket for heaven, and gave me this body to be the vessel for the good works he drew out for me from eternity past. 

Now....It's time for me to start kicking my own butt. 

Giddyup.