Wait...I have a blog?!

Yeah. It's been awhile since I've posted. Other than my twitter handle, there's been little reminder that I actually have a blog.

It would be nice if I could say I haven't been posting because of a faulty internet connection, not enough free time, or just laziness. However, to be honest, the reason I haven't posted lately is because I haven't had much to report.

I got a new job back in June and I honestly haven't been working out near as much as I was before the switch. When I first got the job, I was still running and lifting and biking as much, if not more, than ever.

About two months after I started the new job, I hurt my ankle. It wasn't a debilitating injury but it definitely hurt way too much to run or bike. I could have used one of the various workouts DVDs I have available to me that don't use the ankle at all. But I didn't. I could have kept lifting. But I didn't. I stopped everything while waiting for my ankle to heal.

It healed. I still didn't get back to it. I blamed my new schedule. Two years of getting up at 5:30am changed to working until midnight. It was an adjustment. But I still could have kept working out. I definitely could have started back up when I finally did adjust. But I didn't.

I'm a creature of habit. When I first got into the groove of working out, it became part of my routine. I felt wrong not working out. Now, it's opposite. I've gotten into the groove of not working out.

I haven't gained weight. I've actually continued to lose weight. Probably due to the amount of walking I do at work. I'm now at 211 pounds. The weight loss has slowed down considerably due to not working out as much. I'm also willing to bet that since I haven't been lifting that my body fat to muscle ratio as started to shift to the unfavorable lean.

I'm going to fix it. I'm going to get back into it. Not tomorrow. I know that game. "Tomorrow I'll get started." No I won't. I'm starting today. Right as I get done typing this blog, I'm hoping on the bike. How long will I go? No idea. I just need to get moving again.

I suggest you do the same!

Meet the Coaches!

Losing weight and getting into shape is very difficult to do on your own. With encouragement and help from other people, the incredibly difficult task can become much easier. They can help you get started by sharing knowledge, push you when you feel like quitting, congratulate you when you succeed, and, very importantly, hold you accountable.

I have many people who are there for me for support. From my family to friends to coworkers and acquaintances, many people have encouraged me and, whether or not I asked for it, held me accountable.

However, three people have been of monumental importance on this journey. These people I refer to as my "coaches".

When I started out, I knew nothing. I didn't know where to start or even what to do when it came to working out and nutrition. I could have read a book in the intimidating "Diet and Fitness" section of a bookstore or googled "exercise" but that seemed daunting. Without my three Coaches, I probably wouldn't have gotten started and I definitely wouldn't have made it this far.

Nutrition and Overall Fitness Coach Stephanie Norton: Stephanie boasts three 5k races, four half marathons, and a fifth half marathon and her first full marathon yet to go this year. By making a complete 180 in her lifestyle in both nutrition (she's vegetarian and gluten free now...weird I know) and exercise, Stephanie has done what I'm currently trying to do; lose a lot of weight. She has gotten me started with my training and is the first person I go to about nutrition. For more information on Stephanie, look back in my previous blog posts.

Strength Coach Zach Cole: I've never lifted. Not seriously anyway. I've done some weight training in PE in high school. Let's be honest though, no one really exerts themselves in PE. When I began working out and decided that I wanted to add weight training into the program, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't know where to start, what exercises to do, what body parts to target, if I was using proper form, or really anything at all. Zach not only has been lifting for almost as long as we've been friends but with his weight lifting class and personal trainer class completion at DMACC, he knew what he was doing and was more than capable and willing to help me out. We began lifting three times a week when our schedules would allow it. He set up the routine in exercises, sets, and reps. It was mindless training on my end. Just do what Zach tells me to do. Zach will confirm that in addition to several text messages asking him questions, I picked his brain during our sessions. He gave me a lot of information not only with lifting but with post-workout nutrition and protein to maximize my efforts in the gym.

Running Coach Josh Boersma: The newest addition to Team Chickensalad. Josh Boersma is probably the most decorated of the coaches. In high school, Josh was one of the top runners in the state of Iowa. He was All-State in track and Elite All-State in cross country, multiple time Drake Relay participant, and holds the fourth best time in Ankeny High School history in the 3200 meter race. As I felt I progressing beyond "beginner" with running, Josh became an invaluable resource of knowledge and experience. I had always admired and been impressed by Josh and his accomplishments in running in high school. The guy was a complete animal. He took his training seriously and he competed to his full ability and it showed as he racked up accomplishment after accomplishment. I couldn't think of anyone better to contact with questions about the sport. Josh has time and time again helped me with nutrition, race day routine, training, and proper rest. This guy may know more about running than I do about baseball and that's saying something. He's also a self-acclaimed lawn care professional (Boersma Lawn Care 515-419-3200).

As you can see, I pretty much have the best coaching team since Tony LaRussa and Dave Duncan. What these three people have done for me, I can't begin to pay back. I'm incredibly grateful for how much they've helped me and probably will continue to help.

Thanks, guys! I won't let you down! (cheesy way to end the post...I know...)

The Ankeny Optimist Summerfest 5k

Today, I ran and completed my second 5k race. My first since Dam to Dam. I had decided almost immediately after completely Dam to Dam, I knew I wanted to do another 5k race. I stepped up the intensity and frequency of my training runs hoping to improve.

Every couple days, I would hop online and look at other 5k races in the area. Nothing too serious. Window shopping I suppose. I was at MC Sports in Ankeny this last Sunday and saw a flyer and registration form for The Ankeny Optimists Summerfest 5k. Three days later, I registered for a race that was only five days away.

I figured I didn't need a lot of advance to get ready for it. I was already planning on running seven miles that day so what was 3.1?

Just like with Dam to Dam, the nervousness and excitment hit me the night before the race and built rapidly. I woke up around 6:00am and until race time at 8:00am, I was running on pure adrenaline.

My goal was to just simply beat my Dam to Dam time which was 33:48. I started out feeling really good. When my RunKeeper app on my phone told me that I hit the ten minute mark and had already gone 1.08 miles, I got concerned. I usually run about a 10-11 minute pace for long runs. A pace of under ten minutes per mile was definitely not where I've pushed my body before. Could I keep up this pace?

Why not? I thought. I felt great. I wasn't hurting too bad and my breathing wasn't ridiculous. I kept pushing. At the twenty minute mark, RunKeeper told me I was about 1.96 miles in. Well, I slowed down a bit but that's cool. That's still a good pace for me.

I noticed I began slowing down. I was hurting bad. It became a struggle to put one foot in front of the other. My breathing was labored and deep. I've read that you're supposed to run at a pace where you can have a conversation and talk without gasping for air. There's no way I'd be able to say my name without sucking air. I kept pushing. There was no way I was going to walk. No way.

I kept pushing and pushing up State Street. The strength of my legs weren't going to get me across that finish line. I needed to get mentally tough.

When I turned I got to the corner of State Street and Prairie Ridge Drive, the finish line was a matter of meters away in the Aquatic Center parking lot. I wanted to be done so bad. The only way to be done was to finish. The quickest way to finish was to sprint.

My legs were burning. My lungs were on fire. But I took off and pushed with every strength I had left, moving as fast as I could. Sprinting across the finish line, I could see my family waiting for me. I went over to them and lied down as I tried not to throw up.

I ended up getting a final time of 32:16. This was 1:32 better than my Dam to Dam time. Part of me was proud. I beat my previous time. Part of me was very frustrated. I know I started out too hard. I had a very real shot at getting a half an hour time but didn't pace myself well enough.

But, remember, I love to compete. Especially against myself. I thought about the race and the fact I could have done better for maybe twenty or thirty minutes. Then, it was time to move on.

I began thinking about my next race, my training for that race, what I was going to do better.

My decision is that I'm going to do one more 5k. Just one. I will get a 30 minute time on that 5k then I will be able to move on to 10k training.

Sometimes, I would like to sit back and look at how far I've come so far. I've lost 50+ pounds, I've lost almost ten inches off my waist, I've ran two 5k races, I improved on my time, blah, blah, blah. I can't seem to focus on these accomplishments for very long. I keep looking at what I have left to do. I have 12 more pounds to go until my goal of 205, I have to get a 30 minute 5k, I have to move on to 10k, I have to log more miles on bike, I have to do RAGBRAI next year, I have to get in a pool and work on my swim, I have to do a triathlon someday.

The old me, the 270ish pound lazy slob, would have been intimidated by that list. The old me, the fast food inhaling depressed loser, would have been satisfied with this part of the journey and call it good.

The new me, the 217 pound runner, is not intimidated. The new me, the guy who hasn't had a fast food burger since December, is so far from satisfied with how much I left to do.

I'm excited and motivated to keep going and to keep pushing what I thought I was ever capable of doing. I don't have to lose 12 more pounds, run more, bike more, swim more, do a tri, or keep improving myself physically. I get to do those things and I am going to do those things.

First thing's first: another 5k. Training resumes Tuesday. Bring it on.

A Weekly Preview

A lot of people have been asking me about what all I do for workouts during the week. So, while it may not be the most exciting blog post for most of you, I don't have any other real ideas. Deal with it.

Monday-This is a rest day for running (when you see Sunday, you'll understand). It is an arms day for the weights and, as Zach says, "curls are for the girls!" I also like to do some other form of cardio during this day. I use this day more as a joints rest day than anything. Running isn't allowed but a bike ride or elliptical workout is usually my go-to workout.

Tuesday-I do a three mile run as my scheduled workout. I also enjoy a bike ride or my Bob Harper's Yoga for the Warrior DVD.

Wednesday-This day is one of my least favorite days. It wears me out. It is my speed day. I alternate what I do each week. One week, I will do sprint intervals. The intervals consist of 400 meter intervals of sprinting broken up by 400 meter intervals of jogging. I hate it. I do anywhere from five to eight sprint intervals. The next week, I will do a tempo run. Not as bad as sprints but still not fun. I will start out going about ten minutes at an easy pace to get warm then go fifteen minutes at a faster run followed by ten minutes of easy cool down jog. I also do weights on this day. It is a chest and triceps day.

Thursday-Same as Tuesday. Three mile run with a bike ride, elliptical, or Bob's yoga.

Friday-Rest day!!! This is my actual rest day. I do nothing. Rest is important as you need your body to take a break so it can repair and rebuild joints and muscles. If you workout seven days a week without a break, you will do more harm than good.

Saturday-Build up for my long run. Anywhere from three to five miles will be run on this day. The distance depends on what the distance is for my long run on Sunday. The longer the Sunday run, the longer the Saturday run.

Sunday-Ugh. Long run day. The shortest I run on this day is five miles. I just started this program two weeks ago and I've done five miles both Sundays. This Sunday, I up it to six. Definitely not looking forward to it. Eventually, it will get up to seven miles.

So, that is my current workout schedule. It has changed before and probably will again. I got my running schedule from www.halhigdon.com. He has an intermediate 5k training program and that is the one I'm doing.

I'm sure some are thinking, "hey, Ager, why don't you have a legs day with the weights?" Well, as I said, my schedule has changed before. Friday used to be legs day. But with my new, more agressive running schedule, I need Friday as a rest day. I will eventually throw in legs day with the weights when I adjust and figure out which day it will fit into better.

Any questions? Suggestions? I'm on Facebook and Twitter! Also, you can comment in that section at the bottom called "comments".

The Title

Several people have been asking me about the title of my blog, "Making Chicken Salad...". I was initially content with telling people it was just an inside joke but the questions are becoming more frequent so I thought I should finally explain the background.

I am a fan of the UFC and the show The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). If you aren't familiar with either the UFC or TUF, google it. This past season of TUF featured heavyweight coaches Junior Dos Santos and Brock Lesnar on opposing teams.

Brock Lesnar is a big 6' 3", 280 pound Montana redneck. That 280 pounds comes with less than 10% body fat by the way. Anyway, one of presumably many things that are enjoyable about rednecks is that quite a few have quite colorful euphemisms or figures of speech. It became apparant very early in this past season of TUF that Brock is one of these rednecks.

After one of Team Brock's fighters won his exhibition fight against one of Team Dos Santos' fighters in what I think was the second episode of the season, Brock made a comment during the locker room celebration.

Brock said something along the lines of "chicken salad out of chicken sh**! That's what we are! We chicken sh**!" This comment, while leaving some of his fighters confused and offended, made me laugh.

"The Next Big Thing" explained what he meant by this early in the next episode when one of his coaches informed him that some of the fighters were taking the comment personally. Brock explained that when these amateur, unknown welterweights came in, they were nothing but "just another 170 pound chicken sh**" but that they were there to polish their skills and become chicken salad.

Even with explaining the meaning, I still thought the phrase was ridiculous and funny. I began throwing it around when hanging out with Zach while working out or playing video games or whatever.

I decided, after prodding by many, to start this blog and the blog needed a title. I've never been good with titles of things. For some reason, it's a challenge for me to think of a title that I don't feel is stupid. I'm not sure why but Brock's phrase popped into my head and I decided to use it for the title of my blog.

So, that's the story behind the title. I apologize if anyone started reading this blog hoping for some new chicken salad recipes...

If you think about it, it makes sense. It's a very fitting title. I started at the end of December as a 265-270 pound chicken sh**. With hard work, discipline (most days), and determination, I'm on my way to becoming chicken salad.

"You Better Run All Day And Run All Night..."

As anyone who has been reading my blog know, I ran my first race this past Saturday. It was a 5k in the Dam to Dam here in Des Moines.

I had one purpose for doing this race, to use it as a mark of how far I've come in my weight loss and fitness journey. I had no intention of becoming a "runner". I was going to do this race and possibly another down the road as another mark but I was never going to be a "runner". I hate running. I always have hated running. I called runners stupid and crazy. People who like running don't make sense to me.

I still hate running...but I love competing.

Although I wasn't actually competing against anyone but myself in this first race, it was indescribable as I pushed myself along the course and across the finish line. I was competing against myself and I loved it.

Ever since I finished, I've been itching to get back to running and getting ready to do another race as soon as possible. I was so excited to run again yesterday and not even 100+ degree humidity could stop me. It was all I could think about at work yesterday. Holy cow! I couldn't wait to run! Even today, I'm looking forward to my run tomorrow! I wish I was running today!

Stephanie told me it would happen. She said that I would be hoooked after my first race. She knew I would want to do more. She told me that almost from the first day she got me to start running.

Before Saturday, I was only running as a form of exercise. While running yesterday, I found myself thinking about when, where, and how far my next race would be any time I was able to take my mind off the heat. I would picture myself crossing the finish line. I could almost feel the excitement I felt when I was standing at the starting line.

It's no a longer a question of "if" I'm going to do another race. I've already looked into other races in the area. It is happening.

I've asked Steph to write me up new running programs and my friend, Josh, to e-mail me any training tips he can offer. I'm reading blogs and articles about running. I keep wanting to push myself and get better. Now that I'm reaching new potential I didn't know I had, I'm wondering how much farther I can push myself.

I'm no longer running just as a form of exercise. I'm running now as training for my next race.

Oh shoot...I'm a...I guess I'm a runner...gee...thanks, Steph...

The Dam Race

I did it! I ran and finished my first 5k today with the Dam to Dam 5k in Des Moines! I met both of the goals I had for the race. I wanted to run every step and finish within 35 minutes. I ran the whole way and finished with a time of 33:48.

It was pretty emotional for me when I finished. The thought of where I was a year ago to being a 5k race finisher is overwhelming to me. Not even a year ago; just seven months ago.

I remember when I began the C25K training and the first day I was dying during a one minute jogging interval. I'm rarely ever proud of myself but I am proud of what I've done.

I was pretty nervous going into the race. I kept trying to keep focused on the fact that it was just like any other 3.1 miles I've ran around my neighborhood. The only differences were the number of people and the location. I waited for the race with my mom and my dad. I was glad they could both come and support me.

I probably started out going too hard but I caught myself after a couple minutes and made myself pull back on the reigns a bit. I feel like I kept a pretty steady pace the rest of the way.

I was surprised how quickly the first two miles went. It did not seem like I had been running that long. I felt fine. Unfortunately, when I saw that "1 Mile To Go" sign, it got harder for me. It was probably all a mental thing but I was pretty sore after I saw that sign and realized I had 2.1 miles behind me. I kept wanting to pull over and walk or slow down but I wouldn't let myself. One mile is nothing. I could push through it.

When the finish line was in sight, I picked up my pace a bit. At the 200 meters sign, I pressed on the gas pedal and sped up. When I hit the 100 meters sign, I started sprinting. I would have liked to finish on a sprint but it was so crowded from all the other runners finishing, the line was clogged up and I had to pretty much walk across the finish line.

After I crossed the line, I walked to go find water. I enjoyed seeing my friends Dani and Nathan along with one of my coaches, Zach, on the sidelines. It was awesome having their support. After chatting with them and another friend/race participant, Timmy, I went to go find my parents.

I stood for a few minutes waiting for my time to be posted. I kind of kept an eye on the timer as I was crossing the finish line but I wasn't sure when exactly it counted me crossing. I thought I saw a few seconds over 35 minutes. I would have been happy with that but I really wanted under so I waited for the results to be posted to be sure. Then, it was tough getting through the crowd and trying to find my name.

I could have lept out of my skin when I saw 33:48. I was very excited that I met both of my goals. I could hardly believe it.

I hope to keep going. As I said in my last post, this is merely a mile marker on this road and certainly not an exit ramp. I'm proud of what I did today and what I've done the past six months but I'm hungry and motivated to go even further now.

I'm trying to look towards my next possible race. I don't know when or where or how far the next one will be but there will be a next one. I asked my coach, Stephanie, to draw me up a 10k training program. She seemed excited to get that going and so am I.

Thanks to Dani, Nathan, Zach, Dad, and Mom for coming out and supporting me. Thanks to everyone who kept me in their thoughts and prayers. Thanks to everyone who offered up encouraging words and support. I appreciate everyone.

Possibly the Dam to Dam 20k next year? Who knows.

Fast Foward/Dam to Dam

Ok. I'm tired of doing the whole "Getting Started" catch up posts. I'm just going to go through it really fast.

I was overweight then decided it needed to change so I have been fixing it with exercise and proper diet. I started a little over 265 pounds and weighed in this morning, about six months later, at 220 pounds.

Everyone caught up? Good.

Tomorrow is the biggest mile marker I have yet to make in my journey. I've set up several random ones since starting out. A few months ago, I really wanted to hit 250 pounds and I did that. I later wanted to be able to run twenty minutes without stopping or walking and I did that. Tomorrow, I am running in the Dam to Dam 5k race in Des Moines.

I know many people who are running the 20k tomorrow but I am more than satisfied and proud of a 5k considering just six months ago I couldn't run for a full minute without feeling like I was going to keel over and die.

A program I highly recommend and stand by is the Couch to 5k running program (www.c25k.com). It was designed for people just like me to go from complete inactivity (couch) to being able to run a 5k in nine weeks. As a former baseball player, I've never been a distance runner but after completing the program, I feel more than ready for tomorrow.

I'm incredibly thankful for everyone who has supported me as I've prepared for this race. I know countless people have prayed and offered encouragment via various means whether that was facebook or texts or what have you.

I would like to specifically thank my coaches. Zach deserves thanks for keeping me accountable with my cardio and diet as well as lifting with me. Stephanie for answering my countless questions and offering advice and help every time I asked. I also, of course, never would have gotten started without Steph. My step mother, Julie, has earned credit for telling me about the C25K program. Josh Boersma has answered a ton of questions I've asked him as well. Lauren Schrock has spent countless hours praying for me.

I know many more of you have helped and/or offered encouragment so I hope you know you're all appreciated! Confidence is something I've always struggled with. Your encouragment, prayers, thoughts, well-wishes, etc are all important. Thank you, all!

Part of me feels silly making a big deal over 3.1 miles when I know that thousands will run way more than that tomorrow. The other part of me thinks, hey, screw it! I will make a big deal out of this because a few months ago I was almost 270 pounds! And now I'm actually running a 5k tomorrow!

Getting Started Part Three: Getting the Ball Rolling (Exercise Edition)

I would like to be able to say that the end of December of 2010 was when I realized that I was incredibly unhealthy and getting worse. Unfortunately, I knew that for years. It was during the last week of 2010, however, that I decided to finally do something about it.

It was a Thursday night and I had just gotten off of work. I was on my way home when I decided to stop at Burger King and get some dinner. My usual meal from there for quite some time was three double cheeseburgers with mayo and ketchup. I looked in my wallet. Yep. I had a $5 bill. Checked the change in the car. Yep. I had a bunch of pennies. I knew that my heartattack would cost me $4.06 exactly and I could have exact change.

That's when I really started thinking about it. How sad is it that I know the exact price of three double cheeseburgers after tax? How sad is it that I regularly eat enough double cheeseburgers for three people? I decided it wasn't only sad, it was disgusting. I was disgusted and sick of myself. That was the best $4.06 I've ever wasted as I threw away the burgers when I got home. No more.

If anyone is wondering, just one double cheeseburger with mayo and ketchup from BK is 610 calories and 43g of fat.

I opened with Stephanie the next morning and told her that I wanted to start working out and getting in shape. I asked her for her help and she gladly said she would help in any way I needed. I've never asked her but I'm pretty sure she was skeptical. She had reason to be skeptical. I couldn't remember how many times I said I was going to start and never really did.

My dad and step mother have an elliptical machine in their basement. I attempted on many occassions to start working out on it but they always ended the same. I would go pretty slow and not really push myself for about five or so minutes before I called it a day. Anyone that knows me knows that I'm a competitive and proud person. This may be a fault but it's the reason I decided to use an elliptical at the YMCA instead of the one available in the basement.

With no one else around, I was able to be lazy and stop early when working out. I knew that in a room full of other people at the Y, my pride wouldn't let me give anything short of 100%. I actually probably overdid it by doing a full hour on the elliptical. It might have been a little too much on the first day.

I was feeling something I hadn't felt in a long time: determination. I was determined to get back to being an athlete. I was determined to drop the weight. I was determined to feel good again.

Stephanie helped me put together a schedule. At the time, I was just doing the elliptical Sunday through Friday with a weigh-in on Friday and a rest day on Saturday. The key at this point was just simply getting into the habit of going to the Y and getting the work in. I'm a person of habit and routine so I really needed to establish this as part of my day.

After I felt I was in the groove of going to the Y in the morning to get in at least thirty minutes on the elliptical, I began to mix it up. I started lifting Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with my friend Zach. Lifting was something I had always wanted to do but I had no idea where to start or really what to do. Zach claims he doesn't really know that much but he knows quite a bit and and we started getting a very productive hour of lifting three days a week.

I followed this schedule of elliptical and weight lifting for about two or three weeks before I started thinking about running. Stephanie is a crazy runner who started with running 5k's before moving on to half marathons and will shortly be on to full marathons. They're real milestones as examples of what she's done and how far she's come. I wanted that. I wanted a mark of progress. I wanted some sort of athletic showcase to show how far I've made it. I wanted to do a 5k.

My step mother, Julie, told me about a workout program and it's accompanying website Couch-to-5k at www.c25k.com. It's a program designed to take someone from complete inactivity to being able to run a 5k, 3.1 miles, in nine weeks. I highly encourage anyone looking to start running to give this program a try.

The program has you running three days a week with different intervals. The first day, you start with jogging for 60 seconds and then walking for 90 seconds. You swith between the jogging and running for around twenty minutes. As you progress through the program, the jogging intervals get longer and the walking intervals get shorter until week nine when you're running for forty minutes straight.

Only one minute of jogging then a break? Ha. Child's play. Or so I thought. Perhaps three years and 60-70 pounds ago, it would have been a breeze. Perhaps when I was an athlete, I could have laughed it off. I had been firmly settled in to a sedentary lifestyle. When was the last time I really ran? I had my answer to that question about twenty seconds after the first running interval started. Had I really fallen this far that I couldn't jog for a minute straight?

Stephanie was there to help. Like I mentioned earlier, she's a crazy running person. She knows her stuff. She was able to give me tips that helped a lot. With Steph as my running and nutrition coach and Zach as my weightlifting coach, I had my own personal Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper! Without the gay thing of course.

Pain is about all I remember when I got started. My arms, chest, shoulders, legs, and just about everything else throbbed from lifting. My knees, hips, and ankles were screaming from the impact that jogging brings with it.

I was hurting physically way more than I ever had but I was feeling great. While I still get sore and tired (you're kind of supposed to!), the pain slowly began to ease as my body got used to getting off the couch. The ball was rolling and it was rolling fast!

Getting Started Part Two: Inspiration

Ok. Where was I? I was active in high school then went to BBC, got injured, got a bad attitude, got huge. Remember? Good.

In order to move on with my story, I need to share with you a portion of another person's story. I first met Stephanie Norton when I began working in childcare for the YMCA in Ankeny. I worked with her at Southeast Elementary for about a month or two before going to Crocker Elementary for the summer. I saw Stephanie a few times over the summer when sites would combine for various reasons or at all staff meetings. Every time I saw her, however sporadically, during that summer, I couldn't help noticing how much smaller she was getting.

Stephanie was a big girl when I met her in March of 2009. She wasn't a cow by any means but she will be the first to tell you that she was big. Little did I know, Stephanie was at a point in her life where she wasn't happy with her health and decided she needed to make a change. By the time the summer was over and I came back to Southeast for the next school year, she was a trim athlete and getting more and more fit. I began talking to her about the definite, noticeable change I saw and she was quick to tell me all about her change.

She was definitely the most driven and hard working person I have ever met. She consistently kicks her own backside and puts in a hard workout almost everyday. She will tell you this isn't true but she's also the most disciplined person I know with food. She made a complete turnaround from who she used to be and who she is now and I know she's much happier because of it.

When I first learned about her hard work and dedication, I instantly admired her. There are few people in this world I respect more than Stephanie. Even people who have never done it know that making such a dramatic life change is incredibly difficult. Not only did she lose so much weight but she did it in a healthy manner. She didn't starve herself or take a bunch of pills that lack FDA certification. She ate nutritious food and made herself sweat! It is staggering to think about the girl I first met two years ago and the girl she is now. It is crazy to think that she's ran three half marathons and, in the remainder of 2011 alone, she has two half marathons and her first full marathon planned.

Looking at Stephanie and her accomplishments inspired me. Look at all she's done. Why can't I do that? I established in the last post that I knew I was grossly overweight and unhealthy but couldn't motivate myself to care. I still couldn't motivate myself to care. Stephanie, however, could motivate me to care. And she did.

Over the next year or so, Stephanie and I became close friends. I would occasionally ask Steph if she would help me get into shape as she had done. She was always more than willing. However, I was not ready to change my trend of giving up after the first day.

Stephanie was patient with me. I think she probably knew I wasn't quite ready to commit to a lifestyle change so she didn't push me. She didn't yell at me for not exercising or yell at me for eating poorly regardless of how many times I swore I was going to change my habits. She did tease me a lot when she knew I ate garbage but she was more or less just joking around. That's what makes her great. She doesn't judge people for their health and fitness choices. And I can't count how many times she told me that she would be there for me if I needed any help.

I'm going to jump slightly ahead in the story real quick to right now. To some people, this may sound extreme but it is the 100% truth: Stephanie Nicole Norton is a hero to me. Forget all of the baseball players, the football players, the politicians, and the rock stars. Stephanie inspired me to change my life, motivated me to change my life, and has helped me in so many ways to change my life. She quite literally helped save my life. If that, along with her own accomplishments, doesn't make her a hero, I guess I don't know what a hero is.

I've tried thinking about it several times but I'm not quite sure what exactly pushed me over the edge. It may have been the realization that I gained almost seventy pounds in a few short years. It may have been the fact I couldn't help but notice how massive I was in our family Christmas photos compared to everyone else. It may have been the fact that I was breathing heavy at the top of our flight of ten steps. Whatever it was, I was sick of it.

I knew I wasn't this huge person I saw in the mirror or in pictures. I knew that underneath all of that, I was a competitive athlete. Even in high school, I never reached my full potential physically but this was ridiculous! This needed to stop! This needed to change!

Getting Started Part One: What happened?!

I figured the best way to begin sharing my journey with you is to start at the beginning, as is best with most stories. I don't simply mean the time when I began regular exercise and better diet about four or five months ago. I'm going way back. I like to think this story starts in high school.

I was never exactly super fit or a glorious physical specimen of the human body by any means. I was always flabby and a bit on the larger side. However, my junior and senior year of high school, I was active. It was just about every day I was participating in a pick-up game of ultimate frisbee, football, basketball, or organized baseball for the high school. I was a little over 200 pounds in these days but I was in reasonable shape. I ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted but I was able to maintain a weight around 200-205 pounds. I was comfortable with this weight and my level of fitness. I think everyone wishes they were faster, stronger, or more cut but overall I was satisfied. I hated "exercise". I never ran on a treadmill or really "worked out" in a gym. I stayed in shape by playing sports. I'm a very competitive person so even a casual pick-up game for me would end up being a sweaty workout.

I graduated high school in 2007 and planned to go to Baptist Bible College in Pennsylvania. I grew bitter towards baseball in my time playing for Ankeny High School for various reasons. Those reasons are a different story for a different time and not necessary to share in this timeline. I originally had no intention of participating in the Defender baseball team while going to BBC. After much thought and prayer, I decided to give it a try more or less to see if I could have fun playing baseball again like the good old days.

I participated in fall practice for the BBC baseball team and sure enough, my passion for the game came back. I actually felt like I was part of a team for the first time in four years. This was way different than high school. As many people know about me, I am incredibly injury prone. I got a severe groin injury junior year of high school and my senior year I injured my jaw in a game of flag football, a game designed to avoid contact. Unfortunately, I was not able to buck the injury bug once I got to college. A few short weeks into fall practice, I injured my elbow. Not only did I injure my elbow, I practiced through it and continued to throw, field, and hit with an arm I couldn't even lift to brush my teeth. An orthopedic surgeon would diagnose me with "severe tendonitis" on both sides of the elbow about two years later. Just as I was finding joy in the sport I've loved with such a passion after years of poor experiences, it was ripped away from me. I could no longer play baseball without intense pain in my elbow.

Several know of my experience and bad attitude I created for myself while at BBC for slightly under two semesters. That is, again, another story for another time so I will not dive into that now. I will, however, point out that this is where it all started. This is the point where not only my bitter, horrible attitude began but also where my weight gain began. I couldn't play baseball so I didn't really see the point in doing much else as far as physical activity was involved. I still participated in intramural sports BBC offered but did little else. I no longer was playing pick-up games everyday. I rarely left my dorm room.

Suddenly, my diet caught up to me. In high school, I ate garbage and still maintained my weight pretty well with all my activity cancelling some of it out. When I stopped being active, the trash I was putting into my body stuck around. There were plenty of healthy options in the dining hall at BBC but did I eat any of those? Nah. I enjoyed several slices of pizza dipped in ranch dressing and a small stack of cookies everyday for lunch. I slowly but surely began packing on the pounds.

The weight gain really took off when I got home, however. When I left BBC and came home for good, I was ashamed of the circumstances surrounding my departure. Being as ashamed as I was, I didn't want to talk about it at all. The best way to avoid talking about it, I learned, was to avoid people altogether. My inactivity continued as I avoided invites to ultimate frisbee, football, basketball, etc so I wouldn't have to talk to anybody. I stayed home most nights. Even my family I tried to avoid to an extent. I had no desire to talk to the people who cared and provided for me about BBC. Where does most family talk happen? At the dinner table. How did I avoid the dinner table without starving myself? Fast food. While my activity decreased, the junk I was eating increased.

Before I knew it, I weighed 265-270 pounds. I was over the 250 pound hump I used to fear and was now coming up fast on 300 pounds. In two short years, I gained over 60 pounds and was showing no signs of stopping that cycle. I'm not going to pretend I was on my deathbed or that I was to the point you see most contestants on shows such as Heavy or the Biggest Loser get to but, make no doubt about it, I was killing myself.

I wanted to change. I really did. Often I talked about eating better and working out. I would even start. I would never make it past the first day. That's what I find most scary.

I was killing myself. I was unhealthy. I wasn't at all what I used to be (and even that wasn't great) and I did nothing to stop. I saw myself spiraling down and I didn't care. Despite warnings from my family, I just didn't care.