Social Shutter Editor’s Note: This story was originally posted on CNN, March 24, 2015. But stay
tuned because Georgie is going to be taking photographs and documenting his
experience for Social Shutter in the coming weeks and months.
CNN Editor’s Note: Six CNN viewers have been selected to be
part of the 2015 Fit Nation triathlon team. They'll race alongside CNN's Dr.
Sanjay Gupta in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon in September. As they train, the
six will share their stories about their Fit Nation experience.
Posted
by George “Chip” Greenidge Jr, ATLANTA, GA (CNN) -- "Wait up 2015 CNN Fit
Nation Team and Dr. Sanjay Gupta-- you want me to climb up Stone Mountain --
that is over 1,500 feet straight up. Are you nuts?" I screamed. Yes. This
is actually what I signed up for when I uploaded my video to the CNN Fit Nation website in December.
"But climbing mountains on Sunday morning -- you got to be kidding me," I exclaimed. But it was all part of the process I realized I was going to take on as I learn how to be a triathlete. After our first initial week with a trainer and nutritionist, the six of us were introduced to a whole new way of how to approach fitness and how to incorporate it into our lives. I knew it was going to be a difficult task, especially for someone like me heavily involved in civic affairs and community service.
At Lifetime Fitness, our
nutritionist walked us through a number of exercises on how we should look at
food, nutrition and our calorie intake. After being on several diets over my
lifetime, what he said was simple. To look and review your intake and replace
it with other foods such as fruit and vegetables -- these small steps can be
major impact on your training. Tackling nutrition and calorie intake can also
be exactly how I viewed the climb up Stone Mountain. I put these nutritional
issues on the backburner for years. It was pretty much like looking at the
mountain that I was about to climb that morning -- where do I start, where do I
begin? -- and telling myself that it was going to be an arduous task.
My training schedule has
also been an uphill battle. In January and the first weeks of February, I
started strong with my gym, running and swim workouts. However, as life
pressures got in the way, I saw myself withering off. But luckily I have been
inspired by my 2015 CNN Fit Nation teammates to keep me on track. Their updates
have been truly inspiring and have helped me think about the struggles I face
in my training activities. As I get older, I realize that fitness and nutrition
are key to long-term health; however, the support of friends and family is also
important to help tackle your health. My team members of the CNN Fit Nation
have been there for me. I recently weighed myself when I visited the doctor's
office. It has been six weeks since I hit the scale. I actually lost 20 pounds.
What! Really!
Uphill battles are hard to
see when you are in the middle of them. But you keep moving. Just like that
Sunday afternoon in January, I could not wait to be on the mountaintop and see
the view from Stone Mountain with the members of 2015 CNN Fit Nation. And guess
what? After all this huffing and puffing over the last six weeks, I can't wait
to see the view in September at the Malibu triathlon. It's just another uphill
mountain to climb.
George “Chip” Greenidge Jr. is a Doctoral student in sociology at
Georgia State University. That is, when he’s not training for CNN Fit Nation.
He can be reached at George.greenidge@gmail.com.