Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Healthy Gamer Challenge


There has been a lot of talk about gamer health these days, and as you can see from the video in my last post I am way out of shape. And here I was thinking that I was just big boned.

Before a big event I do try to walk a little to try to increase my stamina. GTs these days are becoming a major endurance test with the length that they are becoming. Wargames Con this year was 11 games, the NoVa Open was 13 games, and at Adepticon if you play in the Team Tournament and do well at the Adepticon Championships you are playing in 12 games. Some people are saying that is one of the reasons why Tony K. does so well is that he is young and in really good shape and that helps a lot at the end of a long tournament. I know that if I had my wits about me I might have been about to win in our game. I made 2 huge mistakes that cost me that game and that was done in part by fatigue. I remember watching the finals of Adepticon last year with Tony playing Cole, and Cole (who is in average shape) was slumped over in his chair partly hung over and a little bit out of it, while Tony was still fresh and awake.

Neil talked a little bit about this in his blog about the importance of getting is shape for GTs in his "Get off your duff and exercise" post


Last year there was a post about after Adepticon saying how out of shape everyone is in, and that everyone needs to get in better condition.

Well, if you listen to just about any podacast out there you have heard about James Ayles who died a week or two ago from a heart attack and left his wife and small children behind. That started a call for gamers to be in better health and to get in better shape. Also he was about my age when he passed away.

Big Jim started his healthy wargamer challenge on his blog found here and here. He and several other people are trying to get into shape.

For me, I am in a weight loss challenge. The Gold’s Gym in Downtown Phoenix has a challenge where you donate $25 to The United Way, and they enter you into a weight loss challenge. They weigh you and check your BMI and then at the end of 6 weeks the person who loses the most weight gets a free membership to Gold’s Gym for a year. I like to eat, but I am cheap too, and that is a $700 value! So I am 3 weeks into it and I have lost 20 pounds. My plan is for the next week and a half I am going to do my regular diet and exercise, and then when I get back from LA for Comikaze Con I will go nuts and really try to lose weight for the final week and a half!

I have been hiking all over Phoenix and it has been killing me. Here are some of my pictures:
 

3 comments:

  1. Good stuff Blackmoor! I know that when me and the guys in our gaming group went to NoVA we were initially surprised at the amount of gamers (of all ages) who were sporting extra weight. The really scary thing isn't so much the guys in there 30's or 40's who are overweight, for they at least have the wisdom and discipline to recognize they need a change, but rather the guys in their late teens and 20's who fallen into a more sedentary lifestyle and don't realize the troubles ahead if they keep up with it. So mad kudos to you for trying to turn things around.

    As for our group, we are all in the Army so physical activity and working out is second nature to us. Even within our group though you can tell there's a spread: two of our guys are in their early/mid thirties, married with kids and while in good shape; two of the guys are mid-twenties, married with no kids and are lanky thin bean pole types and are in great shape; and then me, the mid-twenties single Army guy who's got waaay too much time on his hands to work out (and it doesn't hurt that I have a "runners" body - tall and lanky) and has fallen in love with running, working out, and doing stupid/crazy/fun adventure and endurance races like Tough Mudder.

    Anyway good luck! And I hope you keep us posted on your progress!

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  2. Enjoyed your post. Good to hear their is some attention from our niche on getting/staying in shape.

    I am in my second weight loss challenge myself and have blogged about he experience.

    As an RN, I encourage everyone to lead a healthier lifestyle.

    BDS

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  3. Hey, this is great to hear. I lurk on your (and many others) blog while unable to game at school and I want you to know that you have one reader's support at least!

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