Determined To Succeed

I don’t know about you but I get excited when I see packages. In my old movie publicity and promotion days I used to share a phrase with my co-workers, “today is package day.”  “Package days” were days when big brown boxes would appear from Fedex or UPS filled with God knows what kind of fun, interesting and cool movie promotional goodies to be shared, passed around and enjoyed (in the movie business you get all kinds of groovy stuff).

I had been looking forward to yesterday for quite some time. You see, I had shared my weight loss journey with New Balance (yep, the shoe and athletic wear company) and the very nice folks there took a kind ear and liking to my story and sent me some apparel and new shoes. It was again “Package Day” and who doesn’t enjoy getting packages, especially packages filled with a pair of brand new shoes.

As a kid I loved (I mean LOVED) getting new tennis shoes (or as we called them in Chicago gym shoes) so I could be the one  jumping higher (presumably), running faster (arguably) and being cooler (definitely) on the playground or basketball court of school. But getting these new shoes on “package day” means I have to replace my old trainers. Yeppers, it is retirement city for my second trusty old pair of New Balance shoes who had seen their fair share of wear and tear since I got them more than – oh – over a year and a half ago. Your feet get “used” to a shoe and I’m kind of sad to permanently be retiring them but shoes should be replaced no later than one year after purchase because of wear and tear and overall foot comfort (but more on that later).

Most of you don’t know this but I can honestly say I have worn only New Balance shoes during my entire 175-pound weight loss journey. Because of that I thought about my shoes in a brand new way. I thought about my shoes not in terms of durability or performance but in terms of miles, and how many miles two pairs of shoes from this one particular brand of sneaker had traveled with me in my quest to lose weight.

When I thought about it and put pen to paper I figured my New Balance shoes and I have traveled approximately 4,320 miles (estimating walking, treadmill and elliptical distances averaging four miles per day x an average of 20 days a month x 12 months a year x 4.5 years since beginning my weight loss journey). That’s approximately 4,320 miles on my two retired pairs of running shoes. This would be about the same mileage as me going from Boston (New Balance’s home town) to Los Angeles (home of all things movie biz) and back to Chicago (my wonderful and beloved home town).

That’s a lot of mileage for two pairs of shoes.

Have you ever heard the phrase “walk a mile in my shoes?” You could either take that phrase either literally or figuratively. Yesterday, I talked about the very beginning of a weight loss journey, that first step we all take that begins the journey of a thousand miles. I had been reminded of what it was like to take that intrepid first scary step on that journey and took a trip down memory lane, walking a mile in the shoes of someone just as scared just starting their own weight loss. And along that journey there have been many ups and downs, tears and smiles on a road that hasn’t always been the smoothest road to travel. But when I stumbled I got back up and kept on going. When I cried I dried my tears. When I re-gained, I re-lost. Today, as I slip on a new pair of shoes I reset my odometer knowing I will add more mileage to my own weight loss journey. Mileage that you can count on me counting so I keep track of not only how far I’ve traveled in miles but how far I’ve come in that experience.

Being introduced to New Balance was the best thing that happened to me in terms of workout gear. Is this a shameless product endorsement? Yep, it is. I believe in their product and their store staff actually do fit you with the right shoes for your feet – dreadfully important when it comes to fit and comfort – as opposed to your standard shoe store run by teenagers who don’t know really how shoes should fit (who knew I even needed a corrective orthodic because of my tendency to walk on the outsides of my feet). But no matter what brand of shoe you wear make damned sure they are a good fit for your feet. You are going to be putting serious mileage on the only two feet you have.

Every journey of a thousand miles begins with a single, scary step. And as much as you deserve the rewards of such a long and hard journey you deserve to splurge and have your feet feel as good as they possibly can on that journey, too. If your feet hurt you won’t want to walk or run, or stand on an elliptical for half-an-hour. Most of all, though, it is these shoes you will have to put on to get your butt moving and motivated to lose weight. They will be with you no matter what, logging the same miles you do, feeling the same pain as you do. When you put foot to pavement or place foot in gym remember the journey you’re undertaking will take time, patience, forgiveness and understanding of yourself. It may not always be an easy road (hell, I am proof of that). But as Tom Hanks said in “A League of Their Own,” “it’s supposed to be hard. It’s the hard that makes it great.”

And you my friends will be ever so great.

So I’m lacing up my shoes and heading out to start my weekend. Ah, I love the feel of a good pair of new shoes. I also love the feel of knowing I will be adding more miles to my weight loss journey. I love to travel and traveling this road, especially with you guys, is awesome.

Now if the weather would get just a bit warmer and I could travel this road outside walking…