Talking With A Friend

Are You Physically Ready?
Today my friend, TC, came over to the house.  He's one of my oldest friends, and a long time prepper.  He's the guy with the $900 question last week.  We hung out in my shop, enjoying a couple of Rocky Patel cigars and Diet Cokes while discussing our current preps and how we need to keep moving forward for whatever might be coming down the pike.  I'm chicken sitting for the neighbors this weekend, so we also wandered over there to look at the birds and check for eggs.

We are both in pretty good shape as far as gear, knowledge, and weapons skills go.  But we both freely admit that all are perishable, and our weapons skills are not where they were a few years ago.  We share a few shortfalls.  For food, TC is in better shape than I am.  He's got a good basic supply of long term storage food.  I think my everyday eating and rotation pantry is deeper, though.  We each have a broad range of practical skills, but have areas where one or both of us really need to expand or improve.  Gardening, for instance.  We both had parents with gardens when we were kids, but didn't hold on to the skills.  We're both in the second years of our gardens, with a little success last year.  We're tackling the projects from different directions, so it will be interesting to see who ends up better off come harvest time.  We both have pretty limited hunting experience, but we have room for crisis hunting.  I just don't know that either one of us would know the best way to butcher a deer to get the most utilization out of the meat.  YouTube can help, but there's no way like doing it yourself to learn.

Probably our biggest weaknesses are in conditioning and fitness.  We've both packed on the pounds since leaving law enforcement.  If there is a future breakdown of society, fitness is going to be crucial.  If things don't go haywire, fitness always makes for a better, longer and healthier life. 

I'm not sitting by waiting for a better time to do it.  I'm tired of being overweight and out of breath from doing something that was easy just a few years ago.  Since Feb. 1, I've lost 15 pounds.  I still have a lot to go, but every bit helps.  My clothes fit a little better, and I can move a little easier.  I'm signed up for a 5K race in about a month.  I have no illusions of ever hitting the 21:10 for 3 miles that I did when I was 17 years old, weighed 163 lbs, and was at the peak of my fitness in USMC boot camp, but for this one, I'm hopeful I can break 48 minutes.  A month later, I'm doing the Rugged Maniac 5K obstacle course/adventure race.  For that one, I'm just hopeful I finish in one piece!  Right now, I'm walking about a mile and a half most days.  I'm on vacation in another week, and plan to walk three miles each day.  I should be able to work some short bursts of jogging in there as well.  I didn't get this out of shape overnight, and it will be a lot harder to get back than it was to lose it, but I'll never get anywhere if I don't start.

If It Hits The Fan, I might need to walk home over 50 miles from work.  I need to be able to do that, and not be completely useless when I finally make it home.  More likely, I need to walk to the pond and tote home 5 gallon water jugs.  I need to wield a chainsaw without getting worn out.  I need to dig a trench without keeling over.  I need to be in better shape than I am now.  How's your fitness, and what are you doing to maintain or improve it?


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