Welcome to The Chunky Dragon

I wanted to start this off by introducing myself. I am Ciaran Michael Sullivan and this is my mostly self-motivating dive through my own fitness / health. But as I got thinking on it though, I realized that maybe somebody else could benefit along with, whether it be from ideas, inspiration or simply just laughing at the struggles. I don’t want anybody to get the wrong impression either, this isn’t a diary of simply working out in a gym somewhere, because that seems boring, excessive and probably best handled by people who are WAY more knowledgeable than I. I’m just a nerd, trying to workout with consistency and make smarter lifestyle choices so I can be around as my sons grow up. So I’ll include thoughts on all of it, physical health, mental health, eating and more. I am by no means an expert, on literally anything, so take it as entertainment.

So without further, welcome to the Chunky Dragon, where I will be documenting fitness related nonsense as I meander down a path to being somewhat healthier…ish. As an upfront, I’m extremely camera shy in general, but its been insisted over and over again by basically everybody I know who also knows about this that I’ll have to visually document this. So bear with me, but I’ll do my best. Also, I greatly encourage suggestions, I’ll try most anything once. And lastly, please don’t take this too seriously, because I certainly won’t. The entirety of my goal is to simply improve, generally, as I go along.

I’ve always had a somewhat adversarial approach to working out. I’ve played sports, and therefore realized that I needed to work out, but that was it. I would work out because I had to, or because it was required of me. I am by no means a person who derives enjoyment from the simple act of exercising. Moreover, I find those people that do to be somewhat suspicious. Good for them, I guess, but until I find that secret, here I will be, somewhat forcing myself into being healthy.

Also, and I feel like this should be obvious, but I absolutely refuse to workout without some form of distraction-media, whether it’s music, anime, or something. I cannot fathom not having some form of mental distraction, although I know with some of the activities I plan on trying, that won’t be possible. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there though.

I’ll start by giving an update on a project I’ve been doing for a bit. I’ve used the Conqueror app on my phone for a while, much like this, to be a self-motivator. For anybody unfamiliar, the application breaks down both geographical and fantastical settings into “routes,” with specific distances, allowing people to document their progress via different exercises along those routes. So early 2024 I thought it would be a good idea to tackle the Great Wall of China (distance 2,183 miles), and to only document my progress via rowing. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know much about indoor rowing in the way of actual instruction. I think I heard one day that rowing machines work 75% of your body at a time, so it seemed like the most efficient use of time.

On 05/05/2025 I finished documenting the final rowing workout that completed that challenge. On one hand, it’s an incredible sense of accomplishment, mostly because the obscene distance that I know I completed. On the other hand I won’t lie and pretend that I’m not a little disappointed. I thought I would look…better? Which is obviously ridiculous but still, it’s two thousand miles. I think in my head I thought that if I actually could row that much, I’d look like an Olympic swimmer. Which is just not the case. Not to say I haven’t seen improvements, but still, I clearly need to use it as positive, fun-based logging and not an unrealistic-goal fulfillment track.

As I said earlier, I have to have something to watch or listen to while I’m struggling, so the last time I rowed (today), I watched anime. I generally use this time to watch ridiculous shows that nobody else has any interest in watching with me, but still could be funny or dumb or cute. In that spirit, I landed on Headhunted to Another World, which the description said would be about an average guy who works a normal job but is transported to a fantasy land to be put in charge of a demon king’s army. I’m simplifying, a lot, but that’s the gist.

Honestly, for as dumb as that description was, I didn’t have high hopes. But over two sessions (7.55 and 7.56 miles) it wasn’t as bad as I expected. It still wasn’t great, and I’d never suggest it for a serious watch, it was decently distracting and achieved the goal of keeping my head busy while the rest of me suffered.

While I know that exercising is important, I know that everybody says the food part is way more important. Which is not thrilling, because I know that I suffer my biggest setbacks there. Not because I want bad food, or snacks or anything like that, but because my self-control. If it were just me, I’d honestly forget to eat a lot (which obviously isn’t great either), but because I have three sons (8/8/7) I feel like I constantly have snack food around. Would I search out Oreos on my own and have them in the house for myself? Doubtful. But would I, in the process of making the boys’ lunches at nights, eat said Oreos in a classic “one for you, one for me” scenario that eventually causes me to feel like garbage after the fact? Yep, sure will.

My biggest goal then, will be to reflect my biggest shortcoming. I need to eat less random food, for no reason. And therefore, I need to practice better self-control. Hopefully that’ll carry over to other better habits, but that one’s big enough to start with.

I know I’ve physically seen the best results when I cut things entirely, cold turkey style. No snacks at all, eat only healthy food, etc. I also know that method just seems so…boring. If I’m only gonna live one life, why should I punish myself with no ice cream ever?

-- T a L