2018 - Check In - 11 Jan - Looking back to Re-Focus & moving forward

Because I missed making this a Throwback Thursday post originally, I waited until a Thursday to post it! Here it goes.

Checkin' IN!!!

The photo above is from May 2016. I am realizing that having a father that is a photographer in this 70.3 Ironman event is priceless. This is just one of many captures and moments he caught this day. This is running away from transition #2. I was bitterly cold. It rained a good portion of the swim and bike. I wanted to just get after it before the turn around on the run. I felt invincible at this moment and time. I think this capture represents a lot of why I love triathlons for me.

I had admittedly gotten lost in my weight, my psyche and the mundane corporate monotony. I woke up in 2013 while returning from my last business to to Strasbourg France. I had started running and spinning (haha what does that mean?). But while in the plane I looked down in First Class, I had reached 247 lbs and was an inch or so away from needed a belt extension.

Wow, me! I was fat for me!!!

Unhealthy and highly unfit. So, I set out to change. I recalled being about 9 years old or so watching channel 13 on a Saturday. It carried Wide World of Sports and I watched my first Ironman in Kona - highlights or events - it doesn't matter. It was mesmerizing. These fools, in-human athletes doing 3 sports over 140.6 miles. Ya, that's what I wanted to do.

So, I got home, told Liz I'm buying a bike, and I think Liz Livingston was supportive but wondering how foolish I was. And it was only just beginning of a change in me. It was not immediate. I stumbled quite a bit, in fact buying the bike took time and research and budgeting etc. I finally purchased a bike and then set out to participate in my first event. It was the Cache Valley Gran Fondo in 2014. This was the event and I was going to ride 50 mile. Well, check the link for the story that became my first century ride.

From that wrong turn, I reminded myself of who i was mentally and I had work to move forward to more physically. I convinced Liz to let me go for the Ironman in 2015. Here is a link to my race reflections for each year - hopefully you will see a trend and some growth too. The mentioned link shows the outcomes and also has individual links to each of the three years I have now participated and finished.

I guess I have come a long way:

The last week in France (August 2017) - Almost 247 lbs

A few weeks before pic above (July 2013) - I am growingg!

Finally, Liz got me to have an awakening.

So, here I sit with hindsight as my mentor. I need to re-focus. I stepped on the scale at 206 lbs today (last week of December). There are some life stresses that Liz and I are focused on for our family that is a bit disruptive. All is well, we just aren't stating exactly what opportunities and choices we are looking at. Our family is great. Dennis, Juniper and Astrid are keeping us honest and active. We truly have no idea what is going on, but we do our best. Our kids are alive, healthy and smile at least once a day :)

UP until 2 weeks ago, I was on track to chase my recent stretch goals - Buffalo run - 50 Mile distance. and the Bear - 100 mile distance. Both are ultra running events. I must do a major re-calibration. I was talking to Liz and said that I think the thing I miss most about getting healthy and losing weight - I need to get back to 190-195 at least - is biking. While riding and spinning, I am able to get into Z2 and just burn fat. I can also target High Intensity in the saddle and get "purposed" and focused needs accomplished. I feel that I have plateaued in running and now swimming is my maintenance - and I am starting to refocus on my purpose associated to swimming. I swam twice as much last year as any other year in this journey and I feel so much more at ease and confident about swimming. Running is strong too. But I logged more running miles than cycling last year and that is crazy.

I feel that I have lost sight of my original intent of the post so I am going to finish with a series of photos of me that I think capture where I was, some of the transformation and where I am now. Have a great New Year folks and good luck.

Previous Transformation post - 2016 -- A previous post about my transformation that is a relevant to this post.

So here I sit Today in Jan 2018, on the 11th of January. I am 204 lbs. I am already down two lbs since starting this post and not getting it out for like 3 weeks -- oops. I am ready to re-calibrate and recommit. I feel consistent but in a bit of a disruption, more to come about that soon, but suffice it to say - adulting, being a Dad and a Husband requires more of my attention, and that is great! I will still be ready for 2018 70.3 IM St George, and I think even more consistent progress should be seen. So, wherever folks are, just like me, remember to start where you are. I am not last year me, I have evolved so much, and I will become who I can soon enough. Patience and consistency will pay off.

Watch out 4 D's I am coming after you: