January 2012.  When I looked in the mirror, me- 32 years old & 235 lbs.  When I turned around, I’d frequently see my 2 kids and 1 great wife.  I needed to change- for me, and for them.

Process:  During 2011, I exercised approximately three times:  According to my Garmin, three bike rides and zero runs.  Basically I had exercised for about three hours for the span of a year.  Over the summer Katie and I welcomed our aforementioned second child into the world.  But for this story, that meant eight months of “sympathy eating“.

Outcome: by 33 I had reached my heaviest and most out-of-shape condition of my life.  “Things had to change.”  Actually, no, that cliche is both silly and wrong.  I could have kept going.  But I finally found a few reasons to change.  Namely,  $1,000, an Aristophanean push from my wife, and a light going off in my head:  my children were paying attention to how I live my life- so I needed to show them how to do things right.  And win a bet.