Cheeseburgers Won't Get You to Paradise

1979 10K Chattanooga, TN
 

Recently my daughter came across an old picture of me as I crossed the finish line of the Great Heart Run in Tennessee.  It seems like only yesterday that I was running the hills of Tennessee in my Richard Simmons style shorts.  I remember this run well.  I had hoped to break 40 minutes but missed it by 2 seconds.

2013 5K Pt Neches, TX

Last month I walked in a fun run in Pt Neches park.  After juxtaposing these two photos, it became painfully clear that the only thing I have in common in these two events 34 years apart is that I felt a need to puke when I finished.

Where has all the time gone.  I used to run about 30 miles/week, many with my good friend, Bobby Ward.  About once a week we would meet up with a group of runners at Chickamauga Civil War Battlefield Park for a run.  After running a group would head to some food joint, Chuck's, I think, and have a few beers and eat cheeseburgers and fries.  

After moving back to Texas in 1980, I  continued running.  On many Saturday mornings around 7:00am, an old high school buddy, Craig Christopher, would show up from Houston and we would  make a six mile loop in the west end of Beaumont.   After my fourth knee surgery, I was advised to give up running and walking.   For the next 25+ years I gave up everything but the beer and cheeseburgers.   As a result,  I moved the scales from 185 to 275. 

After two knee replacements and a call from another Chattanooga running buddy, Bud Wisseman, I started a walking program. While Bud was putting in 56,000 miles during that time, I consumed 3,000 cheeseburgers.  Nine months later I am down to 250 and am walking about 30 miles/month.   I gave up the beer a number of years ago.

I have a physical scheduled next week,  maybe my doctor can convince me to give up the cheeseburgers and pizza.  But, they are so good!

Deep Dish pizza at Gino's in Chicago - 2011