Ole! Revenge Is Sweet!

Hello again readers, if you've been following this blog for any amount of time you know of my weight struggles, and how I finally started down the road towards better health after being denied riding El Toro, a wooden coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure.

So June 10 rolled around, almost five years since I was last denied riding the monster.

After joining F3, doing the 5:2 Diet and trying my best to stick with the program, losing between 50 and 60lbs. I thought I was probably safe heading back to the park for another try.

I walked into the park and headed straight for the coaster, figuring I needed to be at my smallest to make sure I had a fighting chance to fit.  Some don't know that your body actually expands during the day, due to water intake and other factors.

I stopped at the dreaded test seat and couldn't get a green light.  This wasn't looking good.  But I knew from five years ago, that the test seat was more stringent than the actual coaster restraints.

There was no one in line yet, well only a few, so I was grateful if I had to do the Walk of Shame again, it wouldn't be in front of a lot of eyes.

I sat down, pulled the seat belt on, and I could tell I had a little more room in the seat belt than five years ago, so who knows, maybe this would end well.

To my surprise the crew was actually very helpful this time around, and with a few pushes on my restraint, I got the all-clear!

We quickly ascended the lift hill and the moment I had dreamed of for many months was finally coming true as we careened down that 76° drop.  The drop was amazing, the rest of the ride was honestly kind of painful because of the horrible restraint.  But mission accomplished, El Toro was mine!

So what now?  Well, one goal is finished, but time to set some more goals.  I still need to lose at least another 30lbs. and I'm refocusing on that.

I'm thankful for how far I've come, and the great thing is with F3, I'll never arrive.  I can always get stronger, healthier, faster (ha!), but my brothers will always keep pushing me and until I take my last breathe, I'll keep on pushing.

I was amazed this trip at my stamina. Five years ago I visited three parks in two days and I was exhausted by the second day.

This trip I visited nine parks in seven days and drove nearly two-thousand miles and until the very end of the trip, I really wasn't what I would call exhausted.  Thankfully all those coasters and walking each day pretty much guaranteed I was out cold at the end of the day and slept well.

So a 43-year-old me, easily was in better shape than the 38-year-old version of myself, that was denied El Toro, and started down this road.

What does the future hold?  Not sure at this point, but you know I'm not giving up.

Until next time.