Introduction

This is the fourth fitness related blog I have started. Way back in the early 2000s, I was in my late twenties and getting a gut. I started a livejournal, called it run fat man run, and tracked my progress towards my first marathon. Then I got interested in crossfit and did a blog about that for a while. Most recently, I’ve been blogging about running at justthedistance. Now I’m on the long term disabled list with a case of plantar fasciitis that just won’t go away. I’m still working out though, more than ever actually, and that is what this blog is about to be about.

Well, that and the Greeks.

By trade I am an attorney. That doesn’t leave much time for other interests, but one thing I do pursue when I have time is a curiosity about classical philosophy, myth, and history. In between videos of crazy feats of physical fitness and updates on my workouts I’ll be posting about the classical world, especially stoicism, and Greek conceptions of athletics.

Occasionally, I hope other jocks will write here as well. If you’re interested, get in touch.

The State of Play

Here is where I am right now – 37 years old, male, 190 pounds. I’m getting back into lifting, crossfit type metcon, rock climbing, and general physical fitness after a couple of years of solely running. I hope to continue distance running once my foot heals. I’m weak, but enjoying the rapid improvements most people see when they either take up or return to strength training.

My goals? As always they are many and varied:

To overcome my genetic predisposition to put on mass by coupling strength training with smart eating and extensive cardio;

• To get reasonably strong without getting enormously huge;
• To climb at a reasonably high level;
• To run again, fast and long, and
• To read Marcus Aurelius, Cicero, and Rav Akiva in the original.

I’ll address how I plan to reach these goals in a series of posts this week, but for now, it’s off to the gym!