A Little History (gnome pun intended)

I am a former fat guy, well I still qualify as a Clydesdale in any race I enter.  The name of the blog says it all.  When you picture a gnome, that is the former me.  Five years ago I weighed in at over 256 pounds.  I do not know how big I actually was because I stopped getting on the scale.  I was literally breaking buttons on size 40 x 30 pants. In a good pair of running shoes I might reach 5'9".  Get the picture?  I used to refer to my stature as short and stout.   Today, I still might only stretch to 5'9" in a cushy running shoe but am about a seven year old child lighter, weighing in around 210 pounds.  Eventually I would like to go below two bills but that is another post.

I am a former college athlete, football player.  As long as I can remember I lifted heavy weights and ran as little as possible. I always completed the summer running programs, but they never incorporated more than a couple miles.  After graduation I gained a little weight, got married gained a little weight.  My wife had a baby, I gained a little pregnancy weight.  She had the baby and lost the weight and lets just say I looked a little jollier around the holidays.  My wife got pregnant again and I looked even jollier.  At this point I was pushing well over 250 on my 5'9" frame.  I could still lift weights but now I could not even run a mile without my knees and back screaming at me to stop.  My wife was kind enough to suggest a New Years resolution  that we could work on together.  With in the year I lost about 50 pounds. 

I did not immediately turn into a runner.  I am not sure I would say I am a runner now but I guess I do run or at least meander down the road or trail a few days a week.  A few years back a good friend and I would say to one another "Hey man, we should run a 5k."  It began as little more than just a wild idea and then it happened.  I am not sure which of use did it but one one of us actually signed up for a race.  That's how it started.