Warrior Librarian by Glenn Fischer

In high school, the mere thought of running more than the length of my living room was enough to make me wheeze and pant with effort. When I did move faster than a walking pace, it was usually in the direction of something tasty. I would much rather snack in a comfy chair while reading a book than go out for bike ride or jog. As you might expect, my waistline grew. It grew until I was wearing the same size pants as my father: a 46. I was only eighteen. I looked like a pear with legs.

 

When I went to college, things got a little better. I managed to slowly lower my weight by eating better and moving more. I managed to get down to a sometimes-tight-36 in my pants. This is where I stayed through my graduate school years and into professional life. I bought nothing containing elastic. If clothes felt tight, I ate less and moved more, but never really made any further progress. I became a public librarian and managed to keep myself at this level despite my generally sedentary job.

 

Last year, I was invited to run with a bunch of my friends in the Warrior Dash that was held in Mt. Morris, Michigan. It's basically a 5K obstacle course. It looked like a blast, but I didn't run it; what business did I have in such an event? I MIGHT be able to do it if I walked the whole thing, but that just seemed like a big waste of time. My friends went and had more fun than is probably allowed by law. They immediately registered for the race in 2012. I promised to be there to cheer them on in 2012.

 

This year, I changed libraries. My job change also triggered a change in gyms. I chose Life Time Fitness because it was between work and home, it was open 24/7, it had facilities I knew I could use, and my sister was also a member. To jump-start this experience, I enrolled in a group weight loss class where I managed to shed a few pounds, got down to a comfortable 34 in my pants, and actually began running; I was running without feeling like I was going to die. It was a lot of hard work, but I did it. More importantly, I kept up my routine after the class was over and went jogging on my own.

 

It was time to put myself to the test. I registered for the Warrior Dash and went running with my friends on a Sunday morning with probably 600 other people in our particular wave. I cleared each of the obstacles and still managed to run from one station to the next. It was tough. It was dirty. It was magnificent. Leaping over fire and crossing the finish line felt amazing. I still cheered for my friends, but I did it from the finish line, not the side lines.

 

Yes, I registered for the race again in 2013. If you have too, maybe I'll see you there. Maybe I'll pass you.

 

Change is tough, especially as we get older. It's so much easier to sit around and find excuses to be inactive. I've heard them all. In fact, I am sure I've used them all. Life Time gives me the facilities and resources I need to get past the excuses. It was the spark that ignited the fire in me to get in shape so I could jump over that fire on the Warrior Dash course.