I said I would report periodically on the progress of my conditioning for my upcoming buffalo hunt in Zimbabwe. You may recall that I started this four weeks ago when I jumped on the scales my first morning back from Reno, where I bought the hunt, and it read 300 pounds!

Shocked, I vowed to shed pounds and get in shape if for no other reason than to make my fat arse squeeze into one of those mini-seats SAA forces you to endure for 18 hours to get to Africa.

So far, so good! This morning I weighed 276 pounds. That's 24 pounds shed in four weeks! My goal is to get down to 260 by the time I board the plane on April 26. That means I'm over half way there. Unfortunately, the pounds will be shed a lot slower now; I'm aware of that. But I am one of those people filled with determination and will either make the goal or die trying.

My walking routine is going full force. I do a minimum of four miles every day, and at least six miles on weekend days. My pace has leveled off at a brisk 4 mph. Last week, I switched from tennis shoes to my new Danner hiking boots, which I intend to break-in real good before I leave. I had sore feet and legs the first couple of days, but that has since gone away. Hopefully, I won't wear them out on the pavement before they get to tread the African soil.

That's it for now. I'm confident that I am already in good enough shape to make the hunt without too much pain. But that won't slow down my conditioning any -- there's more to life than hunting! (I can't believe I just said that. )

I'll report again in four weeks.

Attaboy! You're an inspiration to all of us old guys.

Leon:
If you kill a buffalo and a leopard, next, we'll have to figure a way to reduce a "swelled head".

GAHunter,

Hey how about you give me a pep talk so I can get motivated to be able to sit in the dam seats!

Great going, keep it up! I really need to start a workout and that horrible word, "Diet"

JudgeG,

If I get both, I won't need to squeeze into an SAA seat to get back home. I'll just float across the pond on Cloud 9!

Will I see you next week in Atlanta, BTW?

Widowmaker,

Yeah, I remember liking you when I saw you in Reno. Us biguns' has got to stick together!

GAhunter,

Good going and keep it up!

Well done, keep it up. With your determination you might end up at 240. The fitter you are, the more you will enjoy your hunt, you won't get that tired.
Have a sucessfull hunt.

Way to go. Keep it up. I would suggest you add some sort of weight training into your routine as well. Adding some muscle will increase your metabolism beyond what walking alone can do.

Jeff

GAhunter,

I started like you and I also used dumbbells for weight in arms and flexibility exercises...all kinds of curls front, reverse, and behind head and I used those hand grip squeezers for a strong hand grip...I also used gel inserts in shoes for walking in Zim... I also did bicycle riding did 7 miles daily started off looked like a drunked sailor with rubber legs and worked up to a solid hard leg work out and it was great...I even recommend some wind sprints no more then maybe 50yds if you have do some chasing set up and shoot...I got my buff chased setup and shot...39inch and bull ele at 30feet....



Mike

Well Done, I wish I had you willpower!! I need to lose weight, too.

awe!! don't worry about it, when I see jumbo next week I'll tell him not to run you over 12 or 13 miles a day

Butch,

Tell Jumbo that he's got one lean, mean, fighten' machine on the way-- unfortunately he'll first have to get me through my hunt!

BTW, you know I'm not hunting my leopard in the Arda. That's where I'm hunting buffalo. He had a full quota on leopard in the Arda. We will hunt leopard down at the Nuanetsi River consession.

For all you who recommend weight training, I already do that three days a week and have for several years.

GAHUNTER

Congratulations on your will power and weight loss. Keep up the good work. I know I came back from Reno feeling a bit over my self and you have been an inspiration to get back on my diet also.

CFA