Marathoner in the making.

I've decided to run a marathon. 

If you've met me in the past couple of years, that might only come as a little surprise (but that's because marathons are gigantic).  If you met me 5 years ago, you'd think I was lying or drunk. 

My name is Ryan.  I'm 31, I have a regular job, live in a regular apartment, and enjoy the regular things.  A few years ago, I didn't care for running.  Actually, I was over 300 lbs and didn't care for anything physical at all!  I figured it was a lot easier to make an excuse or place blame than to actually go and take care of my health. 

Then something changed.

I'm not sure if it was the day my mom cried about my condition, the day my doctor told me that I'm in serious trouble, when my relationships fell apart, when I noticed I was out of breath tying my shoes, I was tired and hungry all the time...  they were all around the same time...  something clicked and I learned that something wasn't right.  I wasn't always this miserable. 

So I went on a diet and bought some workout DVDs...  I lost weight, but I wasn't enjoying it.  It felt like a chore and I would eventually not be able to keep it up.

A few weeks later, my life changed.  I moved, I was single, and I started a new job.  I was still dissatisfied and really depressed.

So one day I ran.

My first run, I ran to the end of the block.  It was the most difficult thing that I could ever remember doing.   I threw up in my mouth.
Motivating myself to run again the next day was the new hardest thing I could ever remember doing... and that's how it went for a while. 
 Then I ran my first 5K with a couple of my best friends...  and was faster than I ever thought I could be!

I WAS HOOKED!

That was 2010.

Now, we're at the tail end of 2013.  I've run a few 5Ks, 8K, 10K, and a half marathon.  I'm still hungry all the time, but I'm a little under 200 lbs...  with some to go, and I run all the time and love it!  It's no longer a matter of running away from things, but running toward the next.  I don't make excuses about my health, I just take care of it.  So if I eat a rack of ribs (or two), I run and run and run and run...