Need to get serious about this
 

Hi out there!

My name is Rod (50 years old) and after some off and on starts I've set myself up for a program of losing weight and getting back into shape. My wife and I used to hike a lot (Grand Canyon, Wonderland Trail, etc), so in my 30's and 40's I was in okay shape. But now I've hit the big 50 and way out of shape and have a belly (noticeable at least. I'm a small guy).

I have not hiked in about 4-5 years now, but I've been picking up books on Mt. Everest and Mt. Mckinley, and have a desire to get back into the mountains. But I am so out of shape that even going up 2 flights of stairs to my apartment wears me out!

So I've decided I can workout with a stepper with ankle weights and lift some weights since I live alone (a coworker was looking for a workout partner in a gym, but I prefer to workout without clothes on, I don't think they'd allow that there!) and make a personal goal of summit a local mountain here in Oregon next summer. I may not get to the top (it's over 9,000 ft). But just doing it would be a nice attainable goal.

Anyway this is my start as of this month. Hopefully by looking at my Fitday logs here and on my Blackberry app I can see the results and keep going everyday!

You might want to check out the 'Couch to 5k' plan. As its name implies it is meant to help you progress from a 'couch potato' to running 5 kilometers. I haven't done it yet but others here have given it good reviews. There are some posts in the archives about it also.

Congratulatios on making the commitment to start.

Running sounds appealing, even picked up last months Runners magazine and read it cover to cover. But after years of heavy duty hiking my knees are not what they used to be.

My plan is thus called "Couch to Mountain Top" if not "Couch to up Airport Hill":rolleyes: