Where to start...

I'm not sure exactly where I topped out this time. Probably close to 210. I'm about 5' 6" and stocky - so probably only about 60 lbs heavier than I should be.  Phhht.  That was late spring of 2009 and I was 36.  I've yo-yo'ed over the years up to as much as about 240, but my ignorance and apathy were finally about to end.

I don't think I was expecting to hear what I did from my doc what I did that day: "You're GOING to have a heart attack."  He gave it to me straight and serious - which I needed.  My triglycerides over 500, Cholesterol actually surprising low, in the low 200's only, but HDL was way too low, and LDL was way too high.  He put me on a statin, he put me on baby aspirin, and he put me on Lovaza.  "Start exercising - today" he says.  And I did.

Now, I don't think that it was so much that I ate bad foods, just that I ate too much (with a bit of bad choice sprinkled in occasionally).  It's great to eat good, healthy foods, but when you're regularly topping probably 6000 calories a day on a non-existent exercise regimen, that's not good.  And the sprinkling?  Well, I tend to have moments of weakness - and binge.  Ben & Jerry's (pint at a time) or anything salty, like potato chips (the whole bag), or pita chips (the whole bag) with a tub of hummus, etc, etc.  But I don't touch soda/pop/fizzy drinks and I don't touch fast food - IN-N-OUT Burger being the only exception which is rare because there is no IN-N-OUT in Colorado (boo).  So, I'm pretty sure that I have some kind of eating disorder that probably stems from childhood and my parents - easy blame.

So, I started out riding my mountain bike (yes, I actually had one) to get my exercise.  The first ride, June 23rd, 2009, was a whopping 3.25mi around my neighborhood (elevation ~6000').  I was pretty sure the doc was too late in trying to help me and that a heart attack was imminent on that first (and more than a few subsequent) ride.  But, the heart attack never came.  Day after day I got a little bit better and went a little farther.  My first +20mi ride was on August 4th, 2009.  At this point, I had a 2.5 year old and 6 month old at home - riding was done either at night after bed-time or early in the morning before the girls 'rosed and shone'.  Either way, it was usually dark out, and dark is for sleeping.  September 8th was my first +30mi ride, that I did with my ultra-runner/biker/machine friend from work.  We had started doing weekly night rides which was great, extra motivation, and I more than picked his brain on nutrition, fueling, technique, training, etc., on our rides, and at work.  It probably - no, definitely - helps that the weather and trails where I live are just incredible.  I'm so happy that my girls are going to get to grow up in Colorado (for many reasons) and my wife and I are sorry that we didn't relocate here sooner than the fall of 2007 - but that's life.  Now that we are here, we'll make the most of it!

Let's fast forward to today, and I'll try to fill in the in-between pieces along the whole blog 'journey'.  Riding the MTB happens rarely anymore, though I love it when I do ride.  In late November of 2010 my wife and my girls got me a pair of Vibram Five Fingers minimalist shoes (I'm not going to try to sell anyone anything!) that I had asked for as a b-day prezzie.  I had dabbled very unsuccessfully in running over the previous year and my ultra-runner/biker/machine friend (let's just call him 'Chris' from now on) suggested trying these.  I had done a couple of barefoot sessions on the 'mill, and was instantly hooked when I slipped on the VFF's.  Now, on September 25th, 2011, I'm going to run in, and hopefully complete, my first race - the 50 mile ultra http://www.bearchaserace.com/.

Hopefully the story of my trials, struggles, experiences, and accomplishments can be an inspiration to others, who may need a kick up the arse like I got.  I'm sure my wife is probably thinking: 'Great, now he's doing a blog', but I owe her, and my girls, absolutely everything and love them more than life itself - so, it's OK for her to think that.  And my friends Chris, David (who got his own kick, and is now kicking!), and Kev - who have always supported me, guided me, and inspired me - I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude.

To those that doubt themselves - and I almost hate to say it because it's WAY overused but - If I can do it, anyone can...  And I really believe that.

If I can do it, anyone can.