In high school I played football as a running back, baseball as a pitcher and outfielder, and ran track. In college I competed on Duke's triathlon team, club swim team, and had a brief stint on the varsity track team as a 10,000m runner. During my senior year I started my first company and subsequently had much less time and motivation to train for endurance sports. My close friend was very into reading the bodybuilding.com forums, so by the end of the year he had convinced me to begin lifting weights. We had no idea what we were doing but I really enjoyed it. We started by trying P90X.
Now, I am running my second company, with this same friend nonetheless, and we have taken to devoting time and effort toward real bodybuilding. My ultimate goal is to craft and shape my body into my ideal aesthetically pleasing shape. I don't want to be huge, just really cut. This blog will be my outlet for chronicling this journey. I am beginning in decent shape, at 9% BF and with decent natural musculature and power.
Don't make the mistake of thinking it's "all in my genetics" though, and that I am naturally lean. This is FAR from the truth. I struggled with body image issues for much of my early childhood and, sophomore year of college, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor in my pituitary. My college years were tumultuous to say the least, gaining around 50lbs over the course of 2 months at my worst point, dealing a powerful blow to not only my self-esteem, but also to my athletic capabilities.
But I don't quit.
Over the course of the stormy years, I ran a marathon untrained, stood on the podium (overall) in multiple triathlons, hiked several hundred miles on the Appalachian Trail, got a Neuroscience degree from Duke in 3 years of coursework, and started two companies. And I still have the tumor.
Never say die. Never give up.
Hopefully my story and this blog will inspire at least one person to change their life for the better.
Now, I say, it is time for my golden years.
