Hey everyone!

Six months ago I made a post about how how I managed to run a 5k in less than 30 minutes. Well just earlier today I managed to double that and ran a 10k in one hour! I'm extremely proud of myself!

I'm not very young or in shape, but about two years ago I made a promise to get better, lose weight, and have a level of fitness I can appreciate. I don't wanna get to 50 and be another overweight American with heart problems. I wanna look and feel healthy.

However I am incredibly lazy and scatterbrained, so I decided to go for an exercise that requires no equipment, no technique, and has a high efficiency for calories burned against time. My best guess was jogging/running would fit well, and I had done jogging for fitness way back in college. But that was just casual fun a few times a week. Two years ago I decided I wanted to do it right and focus. Go for longer distances, pace myself, record my times, that kinda thing. And it's working! I finished a 10k for the first time ever earlier this morning and I finished at 59 minutes 27 seconds!

I guess a full marathon is what I should aim for next. A whole lot is going pretty cool in my life ever since I started jogging seriously. I'm more comfortable in calling myself nonbinary and asexual, I'm dressing more nicely, I have a lot of creative pursuits now, and I don't get tired as easily. I wear makeup and no longer feel weird about it!

I wanna eventually get enough stamina to do a full marathon! Wish me luck, y'all. I wish you all luck and perseverance as well! I'm some lazy smelly goofball so if I can do it you all definitely can

(me every morning at 5:30 am)

Takes so long I wish it happened faster

Today I did some lifts at the park while the kiddo ran around the playscapes. I should have done this sooner.

I grew on barbell big lifts. Squats, Deadlifts, and bench were all ever knew. I got a kettlebell on whim just to have something indoors for days I couldn't get to the Calisthenics park. Been swinging around this 50 LB / 22 KG orb of steel and I'm feeling and seeing a lot of improvements. Swings, presses, cleans and other mobility training has been a lot more fun and interesting. Going forward I'm gonna be rocking this thing along with my calisthenics. "Functional training" is now my goal now that i'm in my 30s. I want to be able move and groove with ease for the rest of my days, and I think this kettlebell may be the key to that goal.

For the past couple of years I've been extremely sedentary and I am definitely noticing how that's taking a toll on my body. I think I had imbalances and such before but now they are glaringly obvious; one shoulder higher than the other, one hip/glute is tighter than the other, same with calves, etc etc it goes on and on. I wanna try to address this stuff, so if anyone has any pointers or resources that they find helpful for mobility/strength/flexibility that would be dope.

Had the most amazing run. 60 minutes, 7 miles. Not going too fast, just working on some arobic fitness so 7:30-8 minute pace. Slow running down an old gravel road in the wilderness with the sohnds of wildlife. No music just rawdogging it. Fully in beat just listening to the rhythm of my breathing and footsteps. Began to understand why I enjoy this shit, and why people have run for all eternity. Runners high goes crazzzzy.

I'm gonna use this post as an opportunity to get some conflictions I've felt in my heart out into the world.

After learning that there was such things as "hot" people and "non hot" people I struggled with self image constantly.

The saying "hell is other people" really sticks with me and characterizes alot of how I would grow to view myself. In terms of my body fat, my barrel chest, my facial structure, and my thinning hair, my view point on the way I look could be characterized as unhealthy at best, and profoundly worrying at worst. In a sense, I'd fully internalized this idea that I'm not attractive.

This translates into today quite interestingly. I left my shitty job, moved to a walkable city, got back into school, got a good workout routine, I'm eating much healthier and now in seeing significant results in how my body looks.

I should be happy right? That's the thing, I am happy. It makes me feel really good. I feel desirable and, sometimes, even a bit hot. Not movie star hot but I've noticed when I crack a smile at people I get a blush or an interested response rather than a neutral or just friendly one.

I guess the bulk of why I wanted to write this is because I feel conflicted about how I never overcame this negativity towards myself based on appearance. If I firmly believe others shouldn't be judged for their outward appearances, then why couldn't I ever internalize it, why can't I bring my mind and subconscious understanding to reflect what I've been taught to believe, what I think is right.

I suppose I haven't got a major point to make. Maybe the healthier body has made a healthier brain and that made me hate myself less. However, I think that may be too simple of an explanation. I'm just frustrated with this sense of learning that, to my subconscious anyway, the fucking shit head vapid and vain ideology infected me so much I was incapable of self love until I reached a point where I thought it was okay to do that.

Maybe you guys have some thoughts from reading this? Regardless, I hope you're doing well comrades and I hope you're getting fit and healthy.

I'm an amateur runner and yesterday I finally managed a 5K at a decent pace. 28 minutes 9 seconds. I was never fit at all when I was younger and I still think I'm pretty lazy, but I have numbers I can point to that indicate improvement!

I just wanted to brag a lil since I've heard under 30 for a 5k is pretty decent

Build your strength in whatever way you may but remember to properly repair and recover. Get your rest, keep your diet on point, that you may train again and go even harder. Keep training friends, let us all become our strongest selves (in every way one can be strong).