Transformation

On May 31, 2005 I said goodbye to Boston. Boston is a truly magical place to live when you’re young. I moved to Boston when I was 17 to go to college and stuck around for four years after school to begin my career. I met the closest friends of my life in Boston. The kind of friends you would feel lucky to have if you had only one. I have a handful of friends that belong in this category. They feel much more like brothers than they do friends. For that, I feel very lucky. I am the type of person who would take a handful of very close friends any day over a hundred acquaintances.

Boston was also the place I met the love of my life - Mrs. JL Iron Ventures. In 2005, Mrs. JLIV graduated from law school and we made the collective decision to move to Pennsylvania to be closer to her family as we were starting our lives together.

So here I am, sitting at my computer in Philadelphia on November 18, 2006 trying to piece together an adequate timeline of my life from May 31, 2005 through today.

So much has changed. So much it’s hard to even fathom.

On March 19, 2006 I went to my doctor for a regular physical. I was forced to step on a scale for the first time in about 6 years. I couldn’t believe I weighed in at 209 pounds. Truth be told, my heaviest weight was probably 5 or 10 pounds heavier than this, but since I hadn’t stepped on a scale until then it’s impossible to say what my peak actually was.

Today is November 18, 2006. One day shy of eight months since I tipped the scale at 209. In the past eight months I’ve done my best to re-commit myself to a healthy lifestyle. This morning I stepped on the scale and it read 191.5. 17.5 pounds my body will appreciate not having to carry tomorrow during the marathon. I would have liked to be a bit lighter for tomorrow, but what’s done is done. And for IMLP I expect to be about 20 pounds trimmer as well. But that’s another story for another day.

I have three goals for the Philadelphia Marathon.

In order of importance:
1. Have Fun
2. Finish
3. Break 4:22:00

If I don’t accomplish the first two goals I must say I will be quite disappointed. If I accomplish the third goal, it’s icing on the cake but it doesn’t mean the world. At the end of the day, I am so much healthier and happier than I was just 8 months ago…and this is the real success. The marathon is just the party to celebrate my transformation.

So look for me tomorrow in-person if you're in Philly, or on www.philadelphiamarathon.com.

I am bib # 435. Mrs. JLIV is bib #436.

See you on the other side of 26.2!