Sometimes you get inspiration EXACTLY where you expect

Last night was one of our Wheelworks Multisport team socials. We met up for drinks and appetizers at one of the places near downtown. It seems to be a central point for our rather spread out group, though frankly I could do without meeting places that have $12 parking as the only viable option. Rach got all dolled up and went out with the girls from work instead so it was just me.

There are a lot of positive things to take from a being part of a triathlon club or team. Sponsorships, discounts, training plans, and learning from the experience of others who have done more than you all rank real high on that list. But above all that is simply the camaraderie and inspiration that comes from hanging out with the people who have shared interests with you. Plus, socializing coincides better with drinking beer than racing does. Well, at least it's not common to drink beer during the race. I had 2 Sam Adams Octoberfest last night, and boy did it remind me of why I do all the working out. So I can occasionally enjoy a couple of beers mostly guilt free.

I did Timberman at approximately 315 lbs. It's been a month now since Timberman, and I'm only 7 pounds more than race weight which I'm fairly happy with considering how little motivation I had in the weeks following the race. But in talking to one of my teammates yesterday, I was reminded of just how far I have to go. The man who was standing in front of me, the guy with probably 10% body fat, was once a 300 lb guy who had a heart attack at 28 years of age and is now an Ironman Lake Placid finisher.

It reminded me of several things:

• That I'm really lucky my poor life choices around food and exercise from my early-mid 20's didn't come back to bite me harder than it has. My worst health problems were slightly elevated blood pressure during my divorce and of course the fact that I was fat. None of my medical tests other than BMI or body fat % come back with a bad result.
• It's a long way from 388 to 323, but it's even longer from 323 to 220. I have to duplicate the progress I've made, and then go another 50% past that to get to my ultimate goal.
• I've been able to accomplish a lot without having lost all of the weight that I will. 32 road races including 2 half-marathons and 7 triathlons including a half-Ironman. Oh, and a mountain bike race, too. All that while I was a 300+ pound individual. Imagine what I'll be able to accomplish as a 200+ pound individual!
• That this fall and winter will perhaps be the most important time ever for my weight loss as I will have lots of opportunity for success in improving my fitness and decreasing my weight. I have a strong support system (my wife and my team). I have nearly unlimited access to a gym (FitRec) or outdoor exercise (the Esplanade). And I don't have anything other than work and the gaming site as time eaters. Plus, Rach is gone every other weekend from now until March, so I'll have plenty of time to do the work.

On top of all that, I'm re-joining Weight Watchers @ work today. They finally set up a group here at work, and our organizational meeting is today. I'm not officially starting until tomorrow, because we're having a work potluck, and I want to enjoy it. Weekly weigh ins with a group helps me to remember that each food decision is an important one, but that one bad decision doesn't need to ruin my whole day. 

Plus, I'm competitive. I want to lose the most each week at group. No matter who nice I am or congratulatory I am of others who are successful, I want to be the leader. I love getting the little 5 pound stickers each time I cross one of those milestones. Weight Watchers uses a goal system and they usually set your original goal at 10%. That would put me at losing 32 pounds, or right around the 290 mark. That's near my goal of 287 by 1/1, so it seems like I'm going to be in a good place to accomplish it.

This weekend I'll also be riding in Hub on Wheels, which is a city-wide ride starting at 8 AM on Sunday downtown. They have 10, 30, and 50 mile rides around the city. It's the same day at Nantasket beach, the first triathlon I did when we moved out here last year. Unfortunately, Rach has to work on Sunday now, but several of the Wheelworks folks will be riding Hub as well, so I'll hopefully get to spend a little time with them. Sunday afternoon there is a professional criterium that Rach will join me in watching after she finishes working. 

It's looking to be a really fun weekend.