Timeline on the Subway Wall

Ad's on the subway.

I've never been married but I have been a couch potato, a deep dish pizza restaurant waiter and patron, a disciple of the work hard party hard mentality, a tequila shooting/12 pints of beer drinker (usually followed by a heart clogging meal at Denny's), an Indian food buffet enthusiast...wait I still am. All types of buffets, I'm an equal opportunity kind of guy... so you get what I mean. I've never been really heavy but I've broken 170 pounds - I'm 5'-4". My mother used to show me pictures of myself in high school to try and shame me into losing weight.

Then in 98 I returned to my faith in Christ after a 14 year hiatus, took it more seriously a year later and decided to take care of my body in conjuction with everything else. I joined a 24hr fitness, stepped into the stair master, got a trainer to show me how to use the treadmill and the rest is history. I still remember the night I eschewed the treadmill for a night run along the Embarcadero. I absolutely loved it. My third or fourth time out I celebrated because I broke 35 minutes. I was out running for something like 37 minutes, a personal record at the time. Man, I felt like a million bucks then. I kept getting injured but I kept coming back. Everytime I was on injury timeout I would raid the shelves of Borders for all their running books, buying a couple of them. I wanted to know what went wrong and how to avoid it for next time. One time I was out for 4 weeks because of Achilles Tendonitis. By the time I returned to running I had read one of Jeff Galloway's books cover to cover, some chapters several times. Then there was that time I was running drunk along the Embarcadero at 9PM, I had to pee so bad but didn't want to do it in the bushes (this was pre-trail).I still had one foot in the old life and one in the new. I was out with my drinking buddy who was not happy with my new found Faith and life in running. To appease him I formulated a plan where I was going to go happy hour drinking with him then run afterwards. Bright plan right. Eventually I had to choose. I lost the friendship, then regained it a couple years later. History, always bittersweet.

This year, Spring and Summer, I felt I was at my strongest and fastest ever. In February my whole training plan changes with Olga's help, we didn't even know each other then just the occasionally blog comments...(this is why I like this person). The changes make a world of difference. Also, free from my obligations with the Presidio YMCA, I was able to throw myself full time into my triathlon club. I signed up for Track and Spin classes. I attended the Sunday Trail Runs and occasionally the Sunday Open Water swim sessions. The Spin classes was key to beating the 104 degree heat at Western States this year, too bad the new studio is cooler and better ventilated...too bad. 2007 could be even better. The future, always with hope for better and great things.

Am I suprised it has gone this far, with all the triathlons and ultras, clubs and organizations? Everytime I stop and think about it...which is often.