Peace Place Race for Domestic Violence

First Trail Race

6/11/11

After completing my first race, a little confidence is carried over into this race at Fort Yargo.  I don't really know what to expect. So Stevie agrees to walk with me. Come to find out later I might have died had he not been with me. We get to the registration table and Stacy picks up our numbers. Number 105, not so ironic. Now I have grown up in Winder my entire life and even been to Fort Yargo numerous times. Something was telling me "this can't be that bad". I see some other guys I went to school with, Ronnie Roberts and Mike Headrick. It was great seeing those two. We wished each other well, all the time letting them know I would be towards the back.

At the start of this race I weighed 396. I am a little lighter for this race, but I have hills to conquer. AND WE'RE OFF! Something inside me says Matt you can "jog" a little bit and be ok. So the situation takes over as I try to keep pace with everybody LOL. I last about 3.2 seconds and I can't breathe. Stevie keeps checking on me, I think he thinks this is gonna be a bad day, but continues to push me. All of a sudden we are just walking the paths and I get SICK, S.I.C.K.  No aid station in sight, my only help is in Stevie's bag of tricks. I knew what was happening, my sugar dropped. Granted I haven't had many problems with my diabetes, but this one stopped me dead in my tracks. Stevie pulls out some trail mix and a Protein bar that tasted like peanut butter and jelly. Feel free to buy me any for Christmas!! We waited about 15 minutes and I started to feel a bit better. So we started a slow pace back on the trail. Getting passed by people I think took a wrong turn, enjoying the sunshine and not so much the wildlife (mosquitoes). Stevie and I make it to the first aid station. It's right by the lake. A cool breeze is coming off the lake that is wonderful. By now i have recovered and start getting my stride back. We finally make it through the woods and there is this MONSTROSITY OF A HILL in front of me. I dig down deep, KNOWING this has been longer than a 5k. Three- quarters of the way up this hill my legs begin to fail me.  DON'T FAIL ME NOW!!! I remember a technique Stevie had told me, so I turned around and made it up the rest of the hill, WHEW! 

From a far way off I can see the clock, it's at about 1:28:15. I do NOT want this to take me and hour and a half! So I PRESS and PRESS. Maybe even a "JOG" came out of somewhere and I finished the race at 1:29:57. My cousin Pamela was at the finish line and ran up to me and gave me my first medal that I treasure today, A Peace Place Dove. BOOYAH!

p.s. The race was 3.8 miles and my feet were killing me!

Exercise Tip: Always eat before strenuous exercise if you are diabetic.

Chik Fil A 5k

Say WHAT?!?!?!?  You are telling me that YOU are gonna do a race? (hahahahahahahahaha).

Yeah, I am pretty sure that is what all my haters were saying :-). Nevertheless, just walking is fun but racing gets you T-SHIRTS! Ask my wife, I am a t-shirt junkie. I'm not there EVER to finish 1st, because I did that when I signed up. So back in May, Stevie walked with me on my 1st 5k. The Chik-Fil-A Connect Series Race. Guess what they had those COOL t-shirts that weren't cotton, like ummm, Dri-Fit or whatever!! I told you I was addicted LOL.

  The day of that race I weighed 405, my number was also 405 :-).

Yeahhhhh boyyyyyy!!! I just figured out how to do pictures!

So the race starts and I'm off like a lightning bolt(haha). Stevie is walking beside me. I'm out of 

breath by the first mile. Can anybody relate? Stevie had his secret backpack full of water and other 

treats. This was supposed to be an easy course!!!! As I walked I watched all the other members of 

our family (GYM, CoreFit Rx and Power Thru) pass me as I hadn't even got down to the turn 

around but I wasn't worried. I kept my composure and remembered that I was there for me, not 

anybody else. It was amazing at the end, everybody that ran came out and met me at the 3rd mile, in 

the home stretch. WE ALL CROSSED AT THE SAME TIME. I wasn't last, Stevie was by .02 

seconds :-)

One of the coolest things that happened that was that one that inspired me to really give weight 

loss a try without the gastric bypass(not knocking anybody who has or is going to have it) was 

waiting at the finish line after working all night at the fire department (Chad Sauls).

Well I will guarantee you one thing. I wasn't 405 after this race, only in the race results!

After the race, it was like everybody wanted to interview me. I was thinking I might not be 405 anymore but I'm still in the high 300's, LET ME CATCH MY BREATH!

I RAN THIS RACE IN HONOR OF MY UNCLE, BILL HEALAN, WHO LOST HIS LEG TO COMPLICATIONS FROM DIABETES. LOVE YOU, UNCLE BILL!

Finish time 59:47

Planning the journey

In all of the athletics I have been involved in, I am the most excited about this change.  Sure, I loved the Pinewood Derby in the Boy Scouts, playing All-Stars in Rec ball, and even playing Varsity football.  I think it is because this journey is not so much about a team, but for me. Now don't get me wrong I still need a team to get through the harder times.

I am finding out that making time for exercise is time consuming in itself. I guess this is where you have to "dig" to get to the gym or just outside to walk around the block. I certainly hope I am not the only one that struggles with this :-).  So I have started walking, realizing that 2 years of inactivity have left my leg muscles in pretty bad shape.  Finding encouragement in some locals, we started a "Walking Club" at the gym. 

Walking around the block almost immediately started working on my depression symptoms. The more I was outside in the fresh air and enjoying the sunshine, my attitude had gotten better. Oh and what I forgot to mention in my first blog, I am on 18 pills a day, from blood pressure to morphine for pain.  I adopted a new phrase, "Walking is Therapy".

Go outside today. Be thankful that you made it that far.

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with 1 step"

The beginning of Change...

May 4, 2009 was a change I had never expected.  I was at work, doing my regular job when I dropped a box. In that moment pain shot down my leg, my back seized up, and tears ran down my face.  When I dropped the 50lb box, I caught it right before it hit the ground (I should have let it drop, I know).  Now diagnosed, I have 3 herniated discs in my back (L1, L5, S1).  To cut this first blog a little short, 6 doctors and specialists later, hear I am. Nine epidurals and a year of therapy, I finally decide to take my life back. 

So at the urging of my doctor and finally realizing it myself, I needed to exercise. So this blog is a for the healthy, not healthy, and everybody in between. The runner, the athlete, and the couch potato. At the writing of the first entry I am at 400lbs. I'm 6ft 1in tall.

During this journey, I will appreciate all compliments, encouragement, and "atta boys". I have an amazing support group. This journey would not be possible with out them: 

Chad Sauls

Steve Power

Stacy Shuler

Peggy Grimes

Amber Wigley

Lee Wigley

But most of all my loving wife Jessica Reynolds. I dedicate this journey to you as the love of my life. To make sure that we have the most time ever that we could spend together.

As I update this blog, it will be about breakthroughs, accomplishments, and even health tips that have helped me along the way. A special shout out to a new friend and Triathlete, a source of inspiration in my life, John Young.