3:45 AM: the alarm goes off and I begin my morning ritual getting ready for the run. As I am working on clearing Hip infringement I begin to think about waking at this early time. I did not fall asleep quickly and I am groggy, however, I am still excited to be going out at 4:00 with Amy to run. Reflecting on my old self and the reactions I would take I had a moment of clarity that shocked me.
While I have always been a large dude, I have at periods of my life been extremely strong and fit. Life when I was younger was summed up pretty simply: Gym, Work, and coming in at the end School. When married life hit me that changed a bit: Wife, Work, School, Gym. Then a bit further and the kids come along: Wife, Kids, Work, Kids, Work, Wife, and hopefully Gym. Literally changing my daily routine so drastically that movement was effectively removed from my life.
There were times that I wanted to change and get back to the Gym. However, the only way to pull that off was to wake up at 3:45 am and drive to the gym. I would be fantastic at that for maybe a couple weeks, then, that little extra hour or 2 of sleep called to me and I began to slack, eventually leading to the inevitable Wife, Kids, Work, Kids, Work, Wife schedule and my complacent feeling that I am doomed to be how I am, fat, sick, and wanting.
Over the past 3 months I have made a change internally that never occurred in the past 16 years of the monotony of life, specifically my attitude toward that time period between 3:45 and 6 AM. What is that one thing specifically? I realized that I am more tired if I stay in bed and hopefully get that 2 extra hours of sleep than I am when I get up and run. So the alarm goes off and I am groggy, but, I still do the needful and hit the track and begin filling my energy by pumping the blood, oxygen, and hormones throughout my body.
It has been 3 months of small changes, these small changes have begun adding up, having a synergetic effect on my life. My body is starting to show my diligence in this path, and the great big Travis isn’t so much defined as great big any more. People have begun to say things to me regarding the changes. Some people that appear to need the same changes ask me what I am doing. I give answers, I shrug off some compliments, and think to myself I am nowhere near where I want to be and do not deserve the praise yet.
However, I do feel for people that want to change and want to ask me what I am doing. The problem is, I guess, that I am having such fantastic results in such a short period of time, there must be something extraordinary that I can tell them, maybe some pill, diet, or workout that is the truth everyone is seeking. The “truth” is so much simpler than people expect. Travis what is it (supplement, diet, workout) you are doing that is working so well? I always state that it isn’t an answer that can be summed up like that. I am not following a specific diet or workout program, and I am taking no supplements. All I am doing is waking up with my alarm and moving, and I eat whole nutritious foods. The only thing you could sum my diet up as is I cut out all Sugar and Grains. That’s it! That is my program. Get up with my alarm and move as much as I possibly can all day, while eating what I know will help my body and mind, and involve my family in that as much as I can.
So what is my secret? I guess Nike has had it right all along, I am just doing it. So when 3:45 AM MST (or Arizona time for those that can’t get their heads around “standard time”) my alarm is going off and I am lacing up my shoes saying Good Morning to all my friends around the world, getting up and just doing it too!
My name is Travis and I am here to heal myself.