Back to The Foundation

As promised via twitter (@RockGD), I've started my blog. So let's get into it:

My name is George, I'm 27 years old, and I live in Charlestown, MA. Rather than write a full on biography of myself on this first post, I'll tell you why I'm starting this blog and what I'm looking to do with it.

In September, I moved out of my parents' house and relocated to Boston. I was 26 and it was time for me to get out there and establish myself on my own. At that time, I was in the best physical shape I had ever been in. I was in the gym 4-5 days a week, had a flawless diet and nutrition regiment, and properly supplemented my diet and exercise programs with the appropriate multi-vitamins, whey protein, etc. There was honestly nothing that I felt I could not accomplish physically. I ran a 5K in Providence, RI last September without training for it. I clocked in around 22 or 23 minutes, which was fine (roughly 7:20 a mile) but I still felt I could do a lot better. My point, I felt awesome and honestly, I was awesome.

Key word to take out of that is was. After I moved to Boston, I wasn't hitting the gym as often, not taking care of my nutrition how I was, and eventually wasn't working out at all except for playing indoor soccer twice a week and going for the odd run here and there around the Charles River. Still was active and didn't put on weight, but the 5'8" 165 lbs. I was in September was significantly different than the 5'8" 165 lbs. I was in mid May.

Now, I'm not saying things aren't good in my life. Life is good, I can't really complain. I have a good job working as a paralegal, amazing family and friends, 2 dogs back home that I routinely visit, things are good. But there is something that has been missing. The little things in life started to get to me. Stress at work, annoying people, traffic...you know, the little things that aren't a big deal and are a part of everyday life. They just really started to get to me and I was pretty bummed out about a lot of different things going on in my life.

So, the one big constant I had when I was living back home, the one big thing (outside family and friends) that honestly and truly makes me happy wasn't there. I wasn't working out, I wasn't eating right, I just wasn't me. So what did I do 4 weeks ago? Joined up at the Boston Sports Club in Medford, and jumped right back into the old routine. Obviously, my performance was way down from 9 months ago, but I didn't get in good shape overnight and I didn't lose that shape overnight either. So that's where I'm at now. 4 weeks back at it and I haven't felt this good since I moved to Boston.

My dad gave me a copy of "Men's Fitness" a month or 2 ago and I read the letter from the editor which really hit home for me. The article asked, who would you be if you lost everything? Your job, possessions, money, all that. He emphasized not what you would be (as he put it, you would obviously be "screwed"), he emphasized WHO would you be at your core. For me, it's nutrition and exercise. It's who I am. When I am at my absolute best physically it makes me my absolute best in all other aspects of my life.

That's what I'm looking to do with this blog. Not posting and telling you how much I bench week by week, because for me nutrition and exercise are so much more than that. This is my journey back to my foundation and who I really am.