In January 2015, my wife convinced me to start going to boot camp exercise class with her at Peak Fitness Performance Training in Worcester, MA. It was there that my journey to better health began.

When I started there, I weighed 190 pounds and was on medication for BP, cholesterol, and was diagnosed as pre-diabetic. It was this one decision that led me on a 5 year journey:

• Over 30 pounds of weight loss, primarily through tracking calories in the Lose It! app and changes in diet
• Running several times a week, participating in several 5K and 10K races a year, and running the 200 mile “Reach the Beach” relay race in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. I finished my first half marathon in October 2019 as part of the Boston Athletic Association Distance Medley (5K, 10K, and half). The Intel Hudson running team, of which I was a member, also won the United Way Metrowest cup in 2 different years.
• Boot camp 3 times a week
• Yoga at least once a week

We moved to another gym closer to where we live in early 2023 (post-COVID) and we still attend boot camp 3-4 times per week. My running has dropped off since my peak in the 2018-2019 time frame but I still run 5 or more 5K races every year including the Cambridge Classic series, just more slowly than I did back in my prime.

Although I have regained some of the weight over the last year, I feel better now than I have since I was in my 20s.

The journey continues…