The Long Road Ahead

A few weeks ago I woke up coughing blood and barely able to catch my breath. I had once again partied too hard. I had once again let myself get into horrible shape. I knew it was bad. I didn't have to see a doctor to know that. But I went anyway and finally, maybe because of how I felt or perhaps because of how I looked, I finally heard what he had been preaching to me for over a year. "You are killing yourself. And fast." And it scared me. So began a change. A drastic one.

I came home and spent a good amount of time in thought; trying to decide what happened. I hadn't always been this overweight, this tired, this down on myself. Just a couple years earlier I had been a slim, trim 175 pounds and boxing five days a week. 5 years before that I was working in the sun all day feeling great. Hell, I was 140 pounds of running machine back in my Air Force days. Somehow I had lost myself. And what it meant to be me. And it was no one's fault but my own. The alcohol, the food, the cigarettes...it just became a vicious cycle that never seemed to end.

So sitting at my desk it hit me. I want to be a runner again. And slim. And in shape. I want to set a great example for my children. I want the mental satisfaction of beating that guy in my head that wants to lay around and feel sorry for himself. Some of the greatest highs in my life came from running. And it always balanced me out. I adore it. Which I know makes me odd.

I realized though, that I needed to do more than just decide to run. I needed to set a goal. A really difficult one to reach. I'm very much goal driven - and anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that when I decide to do something, I do not quit. But what could it be? What could I do to push myself harder than I have ever pushed before? And that's when I made my decision.

I'm going to run a Marathon. 26.1 miles of one. The whole thing. That's my goal. And I will reach it. But what I thought would be interesting for my friends, family - and whoever drops by - is to see the journey. What will it take to go from 226 pounds to 26.1 miles? How much training? How many months? What types of hurdles will I face?

I started this journey several weeks ago and it has been a challenge. But already I am reaping the rewards. I am on an intense "Paleo" style of eating and listing everything I consume at Dailyburn.com as well as tracking my weight there. You can keep up with that info here.

I'm currently working out six days a week - 3 days of Interval Cardio training and three days of Strength training using bodyweight or free-weight routines. I also walk roughly 10 miles a week. And on the seventh day I rest. Believe me I need it. I'll write more specifically about diet and exercise as I post more.

So in my nearly three weeks of hard training how have I done? I started this journey at 226 pounds and I'm proud to say that today I weighed in at 211 pounds. Progress to say the least.

I sincerely hope you'll join me for the ups and downs, the laughs and I'm sure tears, the hills and valleys as I work towards that 26.1 mile run...One Step At A Time.