2010 in Review!

2010 is gone so I thought it would be appropriate to get my first blog of the year out of the way.  The past few months I have been thinking about the past year and all that has happened in my life, the life of my family, and the life of many of my friends.  In one of the most memorable years in a long time many things have happened, and I will try and recap a few here.

2010 started with excitement and anticipation as I blogged on my lifestyle change and my goals for the year.  I had just finished a year where I lost 70 lbs and had finished two half marathons.  I set a goal to run the Chicago Marathon and continue to lose more weight.  My oldest daughter was about to embark on her first show choir competition and my youngest daughter was doing acting classes.  My wife was running all over the world trying to take care of us all. 

As winter carried on I really hammered down on my nutrition and ended up losing a total of 101 pounds and more than 20% of my body fat.  As March came, AGMC asked to take pictures and asked me for permission to release my story.  I did so but did not expect what happened at the end of this year. 

During the spring of 2010 I called it quits on losing weight and enjoyed life a bit.  I went to California with my wife, had some great leisure runs, worked out for fun for a change, and really just praised God for all that He did for me over the 13 prior months.  I also set a goal at that point to run the Hall of Fame to Notre Dame 1/2 Marathon. 

I am a huge Rudy fan and, even though I am not Catholic, I really like the history and prestige that Notre Dame University has, so when the opportunity came to be able to run onto the field I just had to go.  It was one of my highest points of the year!  I went and explored the campus the day before and when I entered into the stadium at the end of the run I was in awe with the tunnel and stadium in general.  Great race!

The Notre Dame race was in the beginning of June; at the end of June I started my marathon cycle.  This is typically a 16 week cycle which for me would culminate in the Chicago Marathon.  However, June, July, August, and September were some of the hottest months on record for the NEO area.  This showed me that my kryptonite is HEAT!  I hate it! (At least from a running perspective)

In July we took off as a family on vacation to Ocean Isle, NC and then to Denver, Colorado!  Both were awesome highlights of the year.  We went from below sea level to 14,240 feet above sea level in a couple of weeks.  The best part for me was that my wife and kids were with me which is rare when I travel a lot for my job; typically I only experience these things without them.

In September the Akron Marathon took place and I realized why I liked this race so much the year before.  The first time I ran it I was busy trying to breath and make it to the finish.  This time I enjoyed the run and absorbed all of my surroundings.  Akron does a wonderful job putting on the race and the organizers are exceptionally organized and made the event a huge success. 

October was special in that I finished my first marathon with 36,000 other runners.  What an incredible experience  - and I finished it with my wife, kids, brothers, and good friend and Brother in Christ Dale Liff not too far from me!  I said at the end that I would never run a marathon again, well it only took a day to change my mind.  The end of 2011 I am sure will include one more marathon!

November and December have kept me busy with maintaining my weight and contemplating the next year's events.  I love goal setting and I will write more about this year's goals in another blog post to come soon.  In short, from a physical standpoint I want to run a half marathon at Cleveland in May and then do a full marathon in the fall.  From a personal standpoint I hope to go to seminary and start a Master's degree in the fall.  From a family standpoint I want to lead my wife and kids in the only way I know how in the way of Christ. 

Good bye for now and I will write more often in 2011!  God Bless you all!