Category Archives: Introduction

My Epiphany

It was the end of December 2012. Right after all those wonderful meals at Christmas.  In two months I would turn 50 years old.  I was overweight. I had High blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar.  Then it hit me.

My Epiphany.

If I did not make some changes and make them now.  A train wreak was coming.

The answer for me.   Walking and whole foods.

January 1st 2013  I walked 5.5 miles on my wife’s treadmill.  Changed my diet to whole foods. Walked 4 miles a day, 6 days per week.  Ate lots of salad, fruit, vegetables, chicken and nuts.  By my 50th birthday the end of February I was down 21 pounds.   Felt better than I had in 20 plus years.

I am goal oriented.   I needed a goal.  A BIG goal.  I am loving this walking for exercise.  I could walk a race.  A BIG race.  A Marathon.  I will train to walk a Marathon.  Couch to Marathon in one year.  At this point I made a wise decision.  I joined a walking support site.   It had a catchy name “The Walking Site”.  Here I found a small support group of like minded Walkers. One member, Dan gave me some great advise.  Try a Half Marathon First.  About 100 miles from home was a race in two months.   I signed up.  Ramped up my training and counted down the days.   Did the race and guess what, I Loved It!  I walked four Half Marathons in 2013.

February 2014 I walked my first Marathon.  I Loved It even More!  I walked two more Marathons and three more half marathons.

At this point I was feeling like superman.  Down 55 pounds.  Off all my medications.  Walking 50 miles per week, Strength Training.  I needed a new Goal.  A BIG Goal.

In my research on walking faster and farther I kept finding the word “CENTURION”.  Centurion: A person that walks 100 miles in 24 hours.  Is that even possible?  Yes it is and only a few, very dedicated people have done it.  Question, Can I do it?   About 85 miles from my home was a 12 Hour Race.  New Goal.  A BIG Goal.  Walk 50 miles in 12 hours.  A test of sorts.  Three months of hard training and two marathons later it was show time.  I raced well.  Walked a very strong 56 miles in 12 hours.  So I could “on paper” walk 100 miles in 24 hours.

For 2015 there is one Sanctioned Centurion race in the United States.  F.A.N.S. 24 Hour in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  June 6th and 7th.   I signed up.   New Goal.  A BIG Goal.

 Walk 100 miles in 24 Hours.  

This blog will journal the training and the races leading up to my Goal Race.  Going to be fun!

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Me at the 2014 Bass Pro Conservation Marathon.