I just recorded my first video blog for this site and will put it up as soon as I make a cool open and close that energizes, inspires, and/or makes me look like a total egomaniac. In the meantime, here’s a little history on my couch to Ironman journey.
So, what’s my story? I am a forty something young gentleman who, with the help of a certified Ironman, started running on January 23, 2012. I’m sure we made some kind of bet, but the true reason was how I looked in a video last November (which I hope to find and post). I looked like a fucking whale as I sat next to my buddy Roger and sang the University of Wisconsin anthem, “Varsity.” We were absolutely rocked off our ass and waving our arms back and forth (feeling pretty cool I might add) acting like we were in college celebrating another Badger victory. But when I saw the iPhone video I could not get over the fact that I had a beer gut and my face was swollen like I’d been sitting in a bar for the last 5 years, which I was. I tried to downplay it, like it was the angle of the shot, but I made a serious mental note that day that I would not take my slobby ass lightly.
The start of my running was a “Couch to 5K” program that started with 60 second runs surrounded by 90 second walks. I shit you not, those 60 seconds were like climbing Mount Helena to me. I was winded like a bitch, but tried to play it cool because there were a bunch of women around me and, I’m not going to lie, that is motivation.
This went on and on and we slowly built to a 5K on St. Patrick’s Day which I ran in just under my goal of 28 minutes because my Ironman coach who ran with me lied the whole way. “We’re way behind, gotta pick it up.”
This was me and the coach
So, I lumbered onward completing a 5 mile, 10k, 1/2 Marathon, a Sprint triathlon, numerous other 5ks, then an Olympic triathlon, which was nearly the end of my quest for iron.