Some might remember me mentioning this in my first blog post - basically, my fiance and I are in a "race" to lose 20kgs (just over 44lbs) and quit smoking by July the 1st. The loser has to buy our new bed. Why are we doing this? Well, apart from the prospect of a comfortable night's sleep (our current bed is almost seven years old), we're also looking to get back into shape.
I must admit, I have let myself go over the years, but I wouldn't call myself horribly overweight - just really unhealthy compared to what I was a long time ago.
When I was younger, I was really fit (although I was quite skinny and since I had inherited my grandfather's amazing metabolism, I wasn't able to bulk up). I did a lot of cross-country running back in the day and enjoyed riding my bike around my hometown with my best mate.
I also played squash for 13 years. When I was old enough to pick up a racquet, I began to learn how to play from my grandfather, who at the time was the President of the Victorian Squash Federation and co-owned the squash courts in Sunbury (which sadly no longer exist). I won many trophies over the years and played Division 1 pennant on Saturday mornings, plus I had the privilege of being one of the representatives for squash at the launch of Melbourne's 2006 Commonwealth Games bid.
However, my biggest sporting accomplishments were in Australian Rules football - not in playing, but in officiating. It all started when I had my first-ever Aussie Rules experience at the MCG. My father and I went to a Carlton vs Footscray (now Western Bulldogs) game and while the game itself was very exciting, I remember asking my dad about what those men in white were doing.
"They're the umpires," he told me. "They're kind of like policemen that control the game." I thought to myself there and then, "That's something I want to do when I grow up!"
This cartoon pretty much sums up my primary school days!
I first started officiating games at primary school. During our lunch break, I'd run out to where all the fifth and sixth-grade kids were playing footy. Every time they'd pick their teams, I'd sit out. "It's okay," I'd say. "I'll umpire." I remember that I had the ability to imitate an umpire's whistle using my throat (that is, until and spent my weekends at home practicing how to bounce the ball.
Needless to say, this made me a target for a few of the "popular" kids and I was bullied, but some of my primary school mates were also appreciative of what I did. The greatest present I ever got was on my 12th birthday - it was a footy-themed party and everyone came dressed in their favourite club's colours.
My club was Carlton, but I was quick to change into my white shirt and shorts after one of my friends bought me a pair of white sweatbands and a genuine Acme Thunderer ring-grip brass whistle (the same one that the AFL umpires use today). That afternoon's backyard footy game with my friends was the best ever!
I did play footy for a couple of years as well - let's face it, you can't officiate a game without having played it first. My first two years were with the Macedon Junior Football Club and the team just sucked. We lost every game and probably kicked only four or five goals for the whole season, so I switched to the Gisborne Rookies. We had a great run and I kicked about 20 goals throughout the season, but sadly, we lost the preliminary final against Melton.
Heart-breaking stuff, but what was worse was that as everyone else was growing up and out, I was still the small, skinny kid. So, I stopped playing footy and kept running and playing squash. It wasn't until 1999 (just after I turned 16), that my mother finally let me start umpiring footy for real with the Riddell District Football League Umpires' Association (or Riddell Umpires as they are now known).
It was a promising start to what could have been a great career - I graduated from U/10s to the U/16s in my first year, started umpiring senior football in my second and also was in the core group of umpires that were also sent on duties to the Ballarat Football League and the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA). I also got to umpire AFL Little League half-time games at the MCG and Colonial (now Etihad) Stadium, plus many VFL Junior State representative games and the AFL International Cup.
My primary discipline was in the field, but I also performed boundary umpire duties during junior finals. Then after all the drama of 2003 (and subsequently my employment at the casino in 2004), I had to give it up. That's when my health began to deteriorate.
It didn't help that I picked up a strange skin condition off the tables which forced me to quit (after having used up all my sick leave with hospital visits), but the whole 24/7 rotating roster lifestyle, as well as trying to cram in a full meal on a 20-minute break didn't help either, nor did the after-work drinks at 4.30 in the morning (after night shift).
Sure, I could have done more exercise in the staff gym and on my days off, but I thought I was invincible - after all, I was only 19-turning-20 when I worked there - and night shift made any daytime activity impossible (except for sleep). When I left, I felt awful (both physically and emotionally), but thankfully I was able to pick up a steady job at a bank and find work with a casino entertainment business (which in 2005 was still a new concept).
Still, they were tough times and I was very depressed and it wasn't until later that year I found out I suffered from bipolar disorder (more on that another time). The medication helped, but unfortunately, the side affects also included weight gain. Add that to all the damage done from working in the gaming industry and you've got yourself a Lando that at one stage weighed 115kgs (253lbs)!
So now, since things have improved significantly in my life, it's time to focus on getting myself healthy again. I used one of those electronic height and weight scales at a shopping centre in the city yesterday and the results showed that I am 177cm (5' 9.5") tall and weigh 99.3kgs (219lbs), thus making my goal weight 79kgs (174lbs).
Granted, we should have started this race last week, but as I mentioned in my first post, I had some troubles with my left foot, which forced me on crutches for the most part of my Aussie Millions assignment. My fiance then had a tooth fall out due to a botched filling by her dentist, so that had to be repaired (which by her account was a rather painful experience).
No more excuses - it's time to get back in shape. Running, cycling, swimming, even Wii Fit - whatever it takes. Come July 1, 2011, you're going to see a whole new Lando! "We can rebuild him ... we have the technology!"
Heath always thought about umpiring... but you have to be super fit. Good luck with the challenge guys...sorry but my money is on Shannyn! Might have to start up something like that ourselves, good motivator to do it together and the bed...it's a win win for everyone, not to mention another good place for exercise! ;)
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