One day, I took my 325 pound couch potato self to Disneyland for a vacation. It was around Christmas time in 2009 and I wanted to show the family a good time. Then, the unthinkable happened. My world came crashing down as I was kicked off of a ride in front of everyone because I was too big to fit in the seat. It was humiliating, embarrassing and unexpected. But, it changed my life.

I realized that my life needed to change. I also realized that I have missed out on so much in my own life because I never took control of my health. I missed out on serving in the military because I was too big, I missed becoming a police officer because I was too out of shape, and I missed achieving some of the dreams in my life.

Not any more. I threw away the fear of failure and dared to do something impossible. In one year, I lost over 100 pounds and did something that I never thought I could do – I ran a marathon. I achieved the impossible and it was the most amazing thing ever.

The next year, I traveled the country, seeing new cities 26.2 miles at a time on a marathon tour, all while training for the impossible - the title of IRONMAN!

On June 24, 2012, I crossed the Ironman finish line in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, listening to Mike Reilly announce me as an Ironman, after a long day and 140.6 miles.

I am continuing on my journey, getting through the ups and downs of maintaining a new, fit lifestyle. Life is good, and I want to live it to the fullest.

This blog celebrates our ability to achieve things that seem impossible.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

A punishing 27.2 mile day in Denver

As I sit waiting to catch my bus to the Denver Airport, I am reflecting on the 27.2 miles of punishment I just endured. The 26.2 miles of the race was tough enough, but that other mile, the mile of altitude endured the whole race, took its toll. Over 5 hours, but I pulled it off.

Recap to come...
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1 comment:

  1. I was run/walking behind you right behind mile 8 and 9, and only doing the half-marathon relay. While my story of weight loss is much slower, and my running journey only began this year, thanks for getting me to kick it back up to running, even though I was having a hard time catching my breath at altitude. Your shirt was definitely an eye-catcher, and I'll be adding you to my running blogs that I follow in Google Reader. Good luck in St. Louis!

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