Closing in on a first!

I have never in my life been able to do a pull-up.

Thinking all the way back to grade school - I have never done one. I was pretty much overweight from as far back as I could remember and definitely had no real muscle mass. Too much fat and too little muscle = no pull ups.

Doing my body weight workout last night - I was soooo close to completing a pull-up I could taste it...but even after kicking in the afterburners I fell a little short at the top. Was I disappointed - hell no! That is so much closer to a pull-up than ever before and it gives me hope that within the next 2-3 weeks I will complete that elusive first pull-up.

If someone had seen me 19 months ago and I said in less than 2 years I will do a pull-up they would have thought I was delusional. I would have thought the same - at 415 pounds it is hard to be optimistic and in reality when I set out the thought of pull-ups or any other physical accomplishment was far from my mind.

When I started out I wanted the basic things:


...to be able to bend over and tie my shoes without losing my breath
...to be able to take a couple flights of stairs (or even three) without needing a rest
...to be able to fit in a booth at a restauraunt
...to fit in a single airplane seat with a single belt
...to be able to play with the kids for more than 5 minutes
...to set a better example as a father
...to feel "normal" in a crowded room

Now at this point I can say I have accomplished everyone of those plus more.

So missing that first pull-up made me smile - it's a huge luxury for me to add "complete a pull-up" to my list of goals in this process. It means I have the rest of my life back!


-LL