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| Photo Credit Mike Wheeler 2013 |
It started in 2005. I just finished my second year of college football as an inside linebacker and had never felt more uncomfortable in my life. I had lifted weights and ate myself to 220lbs in hopes to gain a starting position and continue the successful career that I experienced in high school. But, due to nagging injuries, my competitive football career ended prematurely and I was stuck with the realization that I had a lot of left over mass that was no longer useful.
That winter, out of sheer interest, I accepted a challenge from my dad with the goal to beat him in weight loss before Christmas. Being competitive, I soon took up running and quickly whittled my way down to 182lbs by eating healthier and exercising regularly. After beating him, the next challenge was running a marathon with him. I had watched him run Twin Cities and Grandmas with some interest, but frankly, my hate for running still existed from my football days. I equated running to short shorts and nerdy cross country guys. Funny how things would soon change. That year, I finished just under 4 hours, completing my first marathon and also reaching my goal to run a sub-4 hr time. I was immediately hooked to the training discipline, competitive drive, and feeling that a long distance journey has to offer. So began my endurance adventure.
Since that day in June, I have lowered my marathon PR to 2:47, lost over 70lbs, finished top 10 in each distance (from 5k to 50 mile), and met many inspiring people along the way. Running has not only allowed me to connect with the outdoors, but it has transformed my life. If this story interests you, follow me as I continue to develop and compete as an elite trail runner. Learn from my fitness transformation as I walk through how I progressed to my current fitness level. I will offer advice on training, life balance, nutrition, and gear. Additionally, I hope to post some insightful race recaps and document how the season unfolds as I have never trained harder in my life! Thank you in advance for visiting my site. I hope that you find future benefit out of my blog!