Left Picture: February 4, 2006 - 239.8 lbs
Right Picture: July 24, 2011 - 172.6 lbs

Before running there was getting into shape at the gym using various cardio machines and lifting weights.  Before getting into shape at the gym from approximately 2004 to 2006 I made poor choices that effected my health and caused me to gain a significant amount of weight.

Above you can see a picture from approximately 5 years ago.  This was not my heaviest weight but the picture that I have on the date of a recorded weight.  I remember one day getting on the scale and weighing 250 lbs.  I exercised occasionally, made poor nutritional choices, drank too much, and smoked.

To be honest even though I was looking in the mirror at myself on a daily basis I turned a blind eye to my gradual weight gain.  I often made an excuse to myself as to why it was happening instead of taking action to improve it.

Over the course of 2006 I lost a total of 12 lbs bringing me to 234 lbs.  I made some good decisions and some bad ones during the year.  Not much changed with my food intake.  By the end of the year I started exercising regularly.  At the end of December I was doing a cardio workout 4x/week and doing a full body weight workout 2x/week.  I also greatly reduced my drinking and reduced my smoking from one pack a day to 6 to 10 per day.

In 2007 I maintained a routine exercise plan, improved my food choices, and as a result lost 27 more lbs bringing me to 207 lbs.  I also started to get on the treadmill and by the end of the year I was running on it 3x/week for 30 minutes each session.

In 2008 I lost another 5 lbs bringing me to 202 lbs, maintained the improvements I made to my life but remained a smoker.

As you can see the changes for me were gradual.  I enjoyed going to the gym but sometimes left it thinking to myself that I can't believe we have to do this everyday to stay healthy.

In 2009 things really started to change for me.  Building my cardio base up enough I ran my first 5K in May of 2009.  I never had done anything like it.  I remember being ecstatic about the race itself and the time that I finished it in.  I also remember thinking that I would like to get into better shape and try another one to see if I could go faster.  In that first road race I found something that made me want to challenge myself, advance myself, and get into better shape.

In June of 2009 I started a 12 week 5K training plan.  I loved it.  I loved being outside, working out, knowing that I was working towards achieving a goal.  I no longer felt like I was just going through the motions of something that I had to do.  I was doing this for a reason.  A month later I challenged myself and ran a 1/2 marathon.  I loved it, I was hooked.  I also remember seeing the marathoners that day and wanting to go the full distance.  Then began my love of endurance running and a smoke free life.