Jason: I don’t feel like the same guy

Last winter, I started to make some changes in my life. Among these was my first visit to a gym. I joined our local YMCA and started doing cardio (StairMaster and stationary bike) and lifting weights. That’s not that shocking a sentence to write for most folks, even sedentary folks. But I was not only a non-exerciser, I was an anti-exerciser. I watched in high school as music programs got cut and sports teams got new fields and uniforms. I disliked jocks, mostly because they disliked kids who used their brains more often than their biceps.

In my mid- to late-20s, I started to really enjoy soccer, which I now follow avidly. My opinion about sports began to change, or at least my ability to appreciate them began to change. I started watching minor league baseball whenever I lived someplace with a team. I cheered on the Boston Red Sox whenever I caught them on TV.

And then in January, after ballooning up over the winter and dealing with some other issues, I decided to get in shape and make some changes. Seven months later, I feel like a different person. I’m (somewhat) in shape, I’ve lost at least 20 lbs., and I’m on my bike every single day. In fact, I’ve barely turned my car on since June! I was saying to my wife today that I can hardly believe it’s me we’re talking about. And the weirdest part of it all? It was easy. Anyone can do it.

My commute is very short, but I still racked up 354.2 miles in July, up from 192 miles in June (although I didn’t get my cycle computer until partway through June, so that’s not an accurate number). I averaged 10.3 miles per day since June, even though my round-trip commute is just 3.8 miles. My goal is to commute by bike year-round. Wish me luck!