If you don’t like it change it!

Embarrassing DAD.

On my 60th Birthday my eldest son tagged and posted a picture of me on Facebook, something we all feel we need to do to family members on these milestone birthdays, it just seems to be the norm, to post the most embarrassing picture you can find.

This was a picture I had long forgotten. At first I wasn’t happy to be reminded of how I looked at the age of 47, and immediately untagged myself .

It reminded me of a time when I was out of shape, overweight, suffering and struggling with bouts of depression. Not forgetting the fact that I was dressed in a 70’s fancy dress costume, wearing a wig and silver lame shirt. However at the time I never actually realised how out of shape I was.

It wasn’t until two years later when I finally realised just how bad things had become, I was suffering with clinical depression, my business was failing and I contemplated suicide on a daily basis. I knew I had to do something and started running again, and at the age of 49 completed the my first Great North Run. It was at this time when I first had the idea for FAST AT 50.

A Decade of Medals

Just some of the medals and events I’ve taken part in over the years.

Over the last 10 years I have completed the LONDON Marathon, EDINBURGH Marathon the Great North Run four times, Manchester Half and 10KM countless times, Tough Mudder. Run thousands of miles during the last decade. Taken part in numerous local events, also got back on my bike, just so I could feel good in lycra and have an excuse to shave my legs. All in all I’ve been true to my mantra to be FAST AT 50 (Fit and Still Training throughout my 50’s). As I approached my 60’s I set the new challenge to have a SIXPACK AT 60.

Looking back at that photo my son posted on my birthday, I would like to thank him for reminding me how far I have come, although I haven’t yet got the six-pack I was hoping for, its well on the way to being fully developed as I now start to focus on my new passion, incorporating callisthenics and weight training into my fitness Schedule.

If you are just starting out on your FAST AT 50 journey, remember if you don’t like something, then simply change it. Don’t be a chancer! take a serious approach, these things take time. The most important thing is if you want to succeed in your fitness goals you must change your lifestyle.

I would like to now thank my son for reminding me of how I used to look, people often post pictures on social media quoting the words ” this is what depression looks like”, which often show a smiling face, as my picture shows, at the top of this page that smile and costume it’s merely a disguise, hiding the depression within. My depression is fast becoming a distant memory as I focus on a positive outlook, health and fitness continue to play an important part in everything I do, as I continue to make that change.