I took a pause after the idea came to me to write this article because I am an overthinker, and I had a concern that including it may come off the wrong way because Matthew is my husband and the Sports Editor for the Dresden Buzz. Then, after thinking about it further, I decided to run it because regardless of how our intentions could be misconstrued, it is more important to tell this story not only to help the fundraising efforts for the American Heart Association but to maybe spark a change in someone else’s life to be more active and make healthy decisions. Matthew has certainly been an inspiration to me and I hope he can also inspire you as well.
The Challenge
After losing 100 pounds, Matthew Dotson decided to accept the American Heart Association’s June Bike Challenge to ride 100 Miles to celebrate an important milestone on the road to getting healthy.
“The 100-mile challenge came to my attention recently, when I had been working on getting healthy and being active over the past 10 months, said Matthew. “My wife and I had been walking a lot and riding bicycles when the weather would allow, and I really love bicycling. I had done quite a bit of cycling in my teenage years, but after gaining weight in my late teens, biking had fallen off my radar. Since I had started the new focus on my health, I had lost just over 100 pounds, and the challenge seemed like the perfect way to celebrate with a mile-per-pound lost.”
At the time of writing this article, June 11, Matthew has already ridden 79.21 miles and is on track to finish the suggested 100 miles before the month is half over.
“You know, when I saw the quota for the challenge, it seemed like a steep goal because my wife and I had not really been tracking total miles that we had been biking, and we had to fit exercise time in around our busy schedule. Now that we have been actively making sure that we get rides in, the mileage seems to zoom by,” Matthew said. “We have almost met our goal, and I think if all goes well, I could see doubling the challenge and going for 200 miles, which would be a bonus!”
The American Heart Association’s Bike 100 Miles Challenge raises funds to help end heart disease and stroke. For this challenge, Matthew has raised $177 out of a $250 goal. You can donate through Facebook by visiting https://tinyurl.com/44jbjh24.
Utilizing Area Trails
Photo by Lynette Dotson
“So far this month, we have ridden on the Muskingum Recreational Trail here in Dresden, and we recently completed the Great Guernsey Trail just outside of Cambridge, which is a 7 mile trail with bridges, gardens, rest areas, and it passes through a beautiful park area in Lore City,” Matthew said.
In April, the Dotsons completed the Buckeye Scenic Trail (5.5 miles from Hopewell Dr. near Industrial Pkwy. in Heath to US 40 at Lakewood High School just east of Hebron). Then, later this week, Matthew is headed to the T.J. Evans Panhandle Trail, a 9.8-mile trip from Nashport to Newark. But, most of his journeys out on his bike are spent on the Muskingum Recreational Trail, which is about a 12-mile ride (round trip).
“The Muskingum Recreational Trail was kind of a hidden gem for my wife and me, said Matthew. “We knew that it was here when we moved to Dresden in 2014, but we hadn’t been on the trail until more recent years. We take every chance we can to ride the entire trail, including the newly paved section between Rock Cut and Ellis Dam, and we have seen all kinds of wildlife from birds and herons to foxes and deer along the way.”
The Journey to Better Health
Matthew weighed nearly 400 pounds, was constantly tired, and began to notice his health declining. A change needed to happen and fast.
“In the fall of last year, my health was getting to a level that was really concerning my family,” explained Matthew. “I was having trouble sleeping. I would wake up gasping for air. I could see the fear in their faces when they talked to me about my health, and I knew that I had to do something, but I felt stuck. I agreed to go to the doctor to have blood work done, something I hadn’t done in more than two decades, and at that moment when I agreed to go, I just knew that I couldn’t continue the way I was going. Something clicked, and I didn’t want to eat the foods that had made me this way. The doctor offered me weight-loss drugs and wanted to start me on medication for high blood pressure. I had high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and I was pre-diabetic, but I have never been a fan of taking medication, so I asked if she would give me time to correct it by eating healthy and exercising, and she agreed.”
“Right from the start, my family was so supportive, my wife and I started researching healthy recipes, she started helping me track my calories and blood pressure, and that first weekend we went as a family on a six-hour (because at the time I couldn’t walk very quickly) walk on the Muskingum Recreational trail where we took a break on the bridge over the river to have a healthy picnic before heading back. I don’t think the doctor really believed that I would be able to lose weight and change my blood pressure on my own, but when I came back into her office two weeks later and had already lowered my blood pressure substantially and lost 20 pounds, she believed it then. Since then, as more weight comes off and we get more and more active, I realize how much of my life I was sleeping through both literally and figuratively. It has been a lot of changes over the past 10 months, and I really couldn’t have done this without the support of my family!
The freedom to be able to move a lot more, breathe easier, and stay energized longer has improved Matthew’s quality of life exponentially.
“Since making this lifestyle change, I have noticed every day I seem to have more and more energy,” stated Matthew. “I was always so tired before, and everything seemed like a chore. I have gotten rid of joint pain and muscle pain that had plagued me for so many years, and I had just grown accustomed to it, thinking ‘this is how it is’, I still have a long way to go, but I don’t plan on turning back.”
“Another thing I have noticed with changing the foods we eat is that my taste buds have changed; I didn’t even know that was possible. I really enjoy trying new foods I have never tried before, and finding recipes with my wife that are healthy. Just because it is healthy doesn’t mean it can’t taste really good!”
Matthew encourages others who want to make a change in their health to go for it with guidance from their doctor.
“If you want to make a change, you can! Even if it starts out being a small change, small changes lead to big changes. You don’t have to change it all overnight; you can start by making sure that you increase your healthy vegetables and decrease the amount of highly processed foods, unhealthy fats, salt, and sugar that you eat. Get out and move more, even if that just means starting with a short walk every day. If you had told me 10 months ago that in June I would be taking on a 100-mile bike challenge, I would have thought that you were crazy, but I started out doing what I could and gradually that became working my way up to taking a 16 mile bike ride and still being ready for more. You don’t have to start big, you just have to start, you will thank yourself, believe me!”