How did I get here?

Before I answer that question, I guess I should tell you where "here" is. The title of this blog might lead one to interpret it as an individual's fond recollection of how he moved, or rolled, or fell off of his couch and subsequently transformed his life and completed his first marathon.

Well, if that's your interpretation, you're probably going to click away from this page in a couple of seconds because you are about to find out that I have not yet completed nor have I attempted to complete a marathon. In literary terms, you are joining my story "in medias res" which is to say that you have stumbled upon the middle of the action...and, as you'll come to find out, if all goes as planned, you're pretty much smack dab in the middle of what is turning into a two-year journey of a 45-year-old (now 46), obese, pack-a-day-smoking middle-aged man who in the last fourteen months decided to get up and embark on a journey from his couch to a full marathon.

So where the heck is the "here" to which this blog post refers? Well, for the time being, let me just start by saying that I've made some pretty good progress on the journey; however, at this very moment, the "here" would have to be defined as that place where I felt a need to start a blog to share this journey with the world (or at least anyone willing to read or listen), particularly with those of you who think you can't change your own physical fitness for the better. I'd be lying, though, if I were to deny that this blog will serve to help me as much as anybody who might stumble across it...it's that whole accountability thing, which I'll be talking about in my next post, as well as in many others beyond that.

So, in a nutshell, what's this blog all about? At the end of the day, I've gotten to a point where I'm feeling good about myself physically for the first time in quite some time; and what I really want people to know - and you'll know more after reading my "background" posts - is that if I can do it, certainly anybody (without major physical limitations, of course) can do it. And it is my sincere hope to inspire others to take the same steps that I've taken to get off my couch and start living life again.

So it would probably be wise to end with a disclaimer (would anybody reading this actually sue me?)...I am not a doctor, a nurse, a health care professional, nor am I an exercise or physical therapist. As such, if you're not certain about your health or your ability to start an exercise or running routine, please consult a doctor if you are looking to implement any of the exercise or running schedules that I'll be mapping out in future posts.

Until next time, enjoy your journey...