Health is everything. All of the money in the world means nothing if you’re not healthy.
Perhaps the best part of FIRE for me is that I’ve been able to finally get into decent shape. When I had a job, the first thing I’d eliminate in my schedule when time ran out was exercise. Now that I don’t have a job, I exercise right after I walk the children to school. At one point when I had a job, I weighed over 180. This morning, I weighed in at 161. I no longer have hypertension. FIRE has been a game changer for my health.
5 Best People
Someone once said this:
You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
I firmly believe this, so I try to surround myself with the best people who will have me. I want people in my life who will challenge me physically and mentally. I want people who inspire me. Sometimes, inspiration comes from unexpected places.
Amazing Daughter C
My 11-year-old who I sometimes call Daughter C or DC here on the blog came home from school one day in April with this proclamation:
I want to run the Bolder Boulder!
The Bolder Boulder is a 10k run and DC had never been excited about athletics, so I was hesitant. We signed up anyway and she started an after-school training program. The big day came and to my surprise, DC ran the entire course:
We didn’t set the road on fire with our 85 minute time, but we never walked.
Soon after, DC said this:
Dad, I want to keep running!
So we did.
We spent the summer in our running shoes. When we went to San Diego, we ran on the pedestrian path next to the beach. When we visited NYC, we ran in Central Park.
And as summer break came to a close, DC said this:
I want to run another 10k.
So, we signed up for the Fort Collins FORTitude which we ran on Monday:
Two notable things happened at this race:
- We finished 15 minutes faster
- I couldn’t keep up with DC
The last one is why I write today. When we raced the Bolder Boulder, DC struggled to keep up with me. This time, about halfway through the race I was feeling winded, so I told DC that she didn’t have to stay with me. I spent the rest of the race trying to catch up to her, but it wasn’t to be. She finished about 20 seconds ahead and I have a feeling she had more gas in the tank. I was running on empty.
And DC is getting faster every week because she’s in cross-country now. I love it.
I want to enjoy running with DC, so now I run more and push harder than I ever have. DC is making me a better person. DC is making me want to be a better person. Thanks, DC. You’re incredible.
Fitness Update
In between catching DC, I’m lifting weights, swinging kettlebells and trying to avoid sweets and beer. Here is what the scale reports:
And brace yourself, here is what the camera shows:
According to the scale, I’m not making any gains. However, I do see them in the pictures. They are small and take a lot of effort, but they are there. Slow and steady?
Steps
I continue to be a walking maniac. My goal for 2018 is 6,000,000 and I’m up to 4,522,656. If I continue at my current pace of 18.310 steps per day, I’ll finish the year at 6,683,150.
FIREy Fitness
People frequently complain about the risks of FIRE:
- What if I run out of money?
- How will I get health insurance?
I never hear anyone complaining about the risks of staying at a job. If your work involves sitting, read this nugget from the Mayo Clinic:
While it would be arrogant to say that health insurance isn’t an issue for early retirees in the United States, the fact that I now have time to exercise regularly makes me less likely to have health issues. At 44, I have no aches and pains. I’ve run a half-marathon and two 10ks (prior to retirement, the longest I had ever run was one 5k). I feel great and it’s all because of FIRE.
Join the 10s who have signed up already!
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*Only if your life is pretty bad to begin with.
Your daughter is amazing. It’s going to be tough to catch up to her at this point. She’ll keep getting better while you… I hope my son gets to that point soon. He’s not athletic at all. He’s in soccer this year (2nd grade) and the kids’ are already separating into jocks and non-jocks. My son is not a jock. 🙁 Maybe he just needs to grow up a bit more.
I’m trying intermittent fasting since school started. Have you thought about that? It’s only been 2 weeks so I don’t see any effect yet. We’ll see what happens after a few months. It’s tough to workout while fasting, though.
Thanks Joe!
“It’s going to be tough to catch up to her at this point.”
I know, right? I may be in a permanent position of second place from here on out…
Time with Dad, the best running high. That is very cool!
Yep! 🙂
Well done!! Glad to see this has stuck, it’s great exercise and a great way to see a new place. There’s something magical about seeing a place by foot!
Good on DC as well. It’s awesome that she’s picking it up. What a great habit to start!!
Maybe another half in your future?
“Maybe another half in your future?”
She’s already planning it.
I am psyched for you and can definitely see progress in those pictures, but man, I am even more psyched for DC. The fact that she just decided she wanted to run and is just getting better and better at it is super inspiring. Go DC!
Thanks Andy!
Well done, DC!! I ran my first half marathon with my then 12 year old brother. Hoping my 3.5 year old will follow in his uncle’s footsteps! Can hike 4 miles under his own power already so it doesn’t seem outside the realm of possibility.
4 miles for a 3-year-old? Now that’s incredible.
I am beyond proud of C! Give her a huge high 5 for me! =)
Done!
i hope she stays with it. when i was that age we lived so far from everybody running was almost the only choice! you can only shoot so many baskets on the garage hoop by yourself. nice fitness gains.
freddy smidlap recently posted…Tiny Retirement Practice- Days 1 and 2
Hmmmm, Older Daughter needs no motivation, but maybe a move to the country would “inspire” Younger Daughter…
Nice job, sir! The pics definitely reflect your hard work, so keep it up. Also congrats to DC. As a parent, it’s awesome to see your kids pick up on the positive things you do, so I know it’s a proud moment for you in more ways than one. I just posted my weekly results as well. Thanks, as always, for the motivation.
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Ha, I owe you a lot more than you owe me. Keep killing it.
I just went back and looked at the pics again. You can really see the improvements in your back from the Kettle Bell work. Awesome job!
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Joining the Cross Country team is an excellent way to learn to love running. All 3 of are daughters did/will do XC from 7th through 12th grade. It teaches you fortitude, tolerating pain, getting enough sleep, being part of a team.
My favorite high school sport by far. Congrats to you both!
Great post. You’re right–all the money in the world means nothing without good health. Ask Steve Jobs. I love that you mentioned your family is making you a better person. I feel the same about mine. How awesome that you and your daughter have running in common! My job involves a lot of sitting and, although I try to get in at least 10,000 steps every day, it’s tough. (I admit that some of the problem is motivation, but having more time on my hands would definitely give me more options about how to stay active).
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