Initial Post

I love StarCraft, working out, and messing around with my PC. I am a graduate student at Fordham University in Manhattan, NY, NY. This blog is about me, my life, and StarCraft. Come along on my quest for personal transformation - physically, mentally, and, of course, electronically. GLHF

The scale registered 151.2. A smile seemed to appear beneath his 5 o’clock shadow, but quickly disappeared like a freshly cashed paycheck on a Friday night. Just a month ago the very same scale had dipped below 140, but 151.2 was still a long way from 180. That and he didn’t want to start attracting attention by smiling like a freaking idiot; especially when most of the guys around him were well over 200 and decked out in headbands and tats. Still, putting on his sweats had never seemed like so much fun. Anyone watching him walk down the vinyl steps towards the door might have noticed a slight hop in his step. Out the door and into the brisk November air, he couldn’t contain himself any longer; a huge ear-to-ear grin erupted across his face as he headed home. 11 pounds down, 29 to go, and ahead of schedule, too.

He had been here before and had experienced life circumstances that weighed down like 1,000 pounds threatening to crush the air out his lungs, but his spirit was strong. Three years ago he had tipped the scales at a feathery 140; however, in a single year that had all changed, and he had peaked at his lifetime high of 170 by August. The body weight plateaued and even dropped slightly, but his lifting volume continued to increase for a year and a half until this past April. The game quickly changed – it was no longer about having fun and setting new personal records (like 20 bodyweight pull-ups), but strictly surviving. Living through each day was harder than he had ever thought possible.

At first the doctors thought it was appendicitis, but he knew better. The sharp abdominal pains had plagued him for over ten years now. In high school he had traded his senior prom for a night at the hospital where appendicitis had been ruled out. After a few more years of pain, he had thought they were gone for good, but now the cramps were back with a vengeance. Two trips to the ER didn’t do much except reveal a possible blockage in the intestines and scare the hell out of his girlfriend. Mysterious as it was, the pain was real enough to double him over and drive him to his knees, blacking out at points. He started eating less and blacking out more. A colonoscopy finally revealed something, but it was to be another six months before the ship could be righted.

The name of the game is StarCraft Crohn’s Disease, a chronic illness that no one seems to fully understand. At its heart it is an over-aggressive response by your immune system to inflammation within your digestive track. Your bowels get irritated by something you have eaten – could be the actual food or virus/bacteria along for the ride – and your body jumps into action. Only instead of simply weeding out the responsible party, your immune system goes on a spending spree and takes out whatever the hell it feels like.

The result? Exhaustion, anemia, lack of nutrient absorption, indigestion, malnourishment, severe abdominal pain, weight loss, depression…It’s a vicious cycle – you eat, your body overreacts, you develop ulcers, it hurts, and then you refrain from eating. The ulcers eventually heal (often after you’ve lost weight) and you start eating again... The process repeats itself, but the intestines don’t work as well anymore (partly due to inflammation, partly due to scar tissue) and you’re trapped in a downward spiral a la Nine Inch Nails. The typical medical response involves immunosuppressant drugs, dietary changes, and in severe cases surgery.

My name is William Noll and this is my blog. It is to be about many things – perseverance, overcoming adversity, weight-lifting, Crohn’s Disease, and hopefully some eSports, too. Why am I doing this? One word: Empowerment. I want to empower others to do the same kind of things that I have been able to do to get that little extra boost needed getting through a workout on a tough day. I’m not here for pity or sympathy: I want to get better, stronger, smarter, and faster each and every day. I hope to propel others to do the same.

I enjoy working out, bulking up, and staying fit as much as I enjoy playing StarCraft and reading Team Liquid articles. I thought why not combine the two and maybe do something useful in the process. Perhaps I’ll need a little extra incentive to make it to the gym on a rainy day or to get out of bed when the pain is at its worst. Maybe I can inspire other eSports enthusiasts to take their workout regimen to another level.

What am I actually going to be detailing in this blog? Well, workouts for one. I carry a small spiral notebook with me to the gym and keep track of the weights and reps each day. I also record the time of day, my energy level, the length of the workout, and my body weight. The goal is to consistently add weight or reps each week so that my workout volume increases over time. I’d be happy to talk about some of my strategies surrounding fitness and nutrition – what and how you eat is in fact just as important if not more so than what and how you work out.

Still, I don’t want this to be just about weights and protein. I would like to connect some of the lessons I have learned in the weight room with StarCraft. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can improve your performance as a player. Pushing yourself physically can motivate you mentally. Planning and organizing one area of your life can help you get more out of the rest. If I can find a way to lighten up the mood and have a good laugh or too, I certainly will.

Please feel free to read and comment. Share your own stories and anecdotes if you would like, but most of all have fun and be constructive . GLHF

12 March 2013 + Show Spoiler +

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