The Beginning....

About one year ago I decided that it was time to get back in shape. When I graduated college in 94' I weighed in at a hefty 255#. I had bought a Bridgestone Mountain Bike from a bike shop in Prescott, AZ just before I graduated and moved back to San Diego. When I got to San Diego I started riding up behind our house in a natural area that I still ride to this day. It was pretty rough going. Mountain bikes didn't have the gearing that they have today and I was pretty out of shape, both physically and aerobically. I had never been involved in physical fitness as a kid. I played a year of football and baseball when I was younger, but fitness wasn't a priority. It took about 4 months to lose 55#s. I cut out every bit of fat in my diet. Didn't care how many carbs and didn't know anything about protein at the time. I lost weight so quick. Since I cut out all of the fat, I started to get dry skin, my hair was dry. All kinds of strange stuff. But I felt great out riding my Bridgestone up this hill from our house to an old WWII lookout to the Pacific. I can remember being able to ride up that trail non-stop in 17:30 minutes. I was 205# and was feeling great. Not long after that my career got going. Being a pilot, I moved all over the country. I was what you would call an aviation whore (excuse my language). If I could build more flight time and fly bigger planes and eventually work for a major airline, I would've sold my soul. As to be expected, my exercise and healthy (not really) eating habits went away pretty quick. I managed to get back on my bike again in the late 90's and early 2000's. I bought a road bike back in 96 and rode for a 1000 or so miles. But, being a pilot and staying or getting in optimal shape just wasn't in the cards for me. Fast forward to right now, September 2009.

I did manage to keep my career moving and get back in shape. I opened up Jet Aeronautical, LLC, a corporate pilot training facility in San Diego, in 2005. One year ago, I finally got to a point where I could manage the business, family and dedicate time to getting back on my bike. Although I had been getting out of shape for a number of years, I always knew how to get back in shape, I just needed the motivation and the opportunity.



Being off your bike for long periods means lots of pain when you get back on usually. I still ride the same trails that I did back in 94. So letting my weight get back up to 235 + was gona cost me when I went back to the trail behind the house. I live a couple miles from that old house now, but still ride that trail. I still have my Bridgestone, but ride a Turner Flux off road now. My Bridgestone became a classic soon after I bought it, as Bridgestone no longer imports bicycles to the US. I've dedicated quite a bit of time to riding during the last year. Road and Mountain bikes. That hill behind the house now takes 12:30 on a warm up. I've got my weight back down in the 180s. I quit checking weight now and am more concerned with body fat. My fitness level is so far above anything I've ever seen in my life. I ride my road bike with North County Cycle Club every Saturday. I've went from not being able to keep up to being able to lead the ride when I want(I hope those guys don't read this). Anyway, it's an amazing feeling when you get in good shape. Maybe not that special for someone who has been athletically inclined their whole life, but for someone like me, it's awesome. That's where I'm at today. I'm happy with myself, mentally and physically. My family is great. My priorities have always been family first and I won't be shy about saying that my wife, Inna, is spectacular. Our son, Daniel, is an amazing individual. I live a gifted life when it comes to my immediate family.

So, I find myself secure with family, secure with my business(sometimes) and looking to push myself. My family and business have always caused me to push my hardest. Not saying I don't have a lot of work left with family and business, just that I have a desire to seek something additional now.

What does epic really mean? At this point in my life it's going to be physical. I've checked quite a few boxes along the way, including flying jets, racing cars, riding dirt bikes, etc. So, I'm really looking for something epic, not just exciting. I haven't decided what it is yet, but I'm going to start preparing for it. I've got a couple of century rides on the calendar, a double century next March and the Whiskey Off Road MTB race in Prescott, AZ April 2010. What am I preparing for? Maybe the RAW or RAAM. I'm not sure yet. Race Across the West seems pretty reasonable to me. Probably not to most. It's a 1000 miles from Oceanside, CA to Taos, NM in under 92 hours. Race Across America is extreme. 3000+ miles from Oceanside to Annapolis, MD in under 10 days. Just thoughts at this point, but I'm researching and wanted to get my thoughts down, so I have something to look back on to keep things going straight. Thanks for following. Your comments are always appreciated. Coming next..... My inspirations!