I was over forty. I was getting pretty soggy around the middle. I was 40 pounds over weight, my feet hurt, and the “standard” remedies of diet and exercise did not work for me any longer. “Eat less and work out more.” I have learned this isn’t true. “High intensity is what you need!” Nope…just made me sore. I never enjoyed running. As an officer in the Air Force it was a necessary evil for our fitness test. But as my middle expanded, the requisite miles to keep on top of my fitness level was getting too difficult. I took up cycling. That has become a passion, no doubt. I find true joy in pedaling a bicycle over an open country road. But without the focus on a measured approach concerning intensity and duration, this sport, too, began to tax my overweight frame. I thought the “right” way was to workout (run, pedal, lift, bend, squat…pick your poison) as hard as you could for as long as you could or felt like you needed to. Well, the picture on the left shows how well that worked out for me. But meeting a new friend cued me into a crazy idea…with his help and guidance, I could do a 70.3 triathlon. I have never run more than 10 miles at once (much less after swimming and biking.) I had the bike skills. But what I didn’t have was the discipline and understanding in the need to go slow! That’s right…slow. By making my heart rate the key metric in training sessions, I have not only gained discipline and focus, but efforts became repeatable through the week. I enjoyed the training. And the success with the training sessions motivated me to explore other aspects of fitness improvement. My friend and I made “the pact” to on 30 Oct 2016. Not only did I do the Ironman 70.3, but 1 year following “the pact” I completed a full Ironman. As I plan my 2018 triathlon season, I fell compelled to share my journey; the weight loss, diet strategies I have tried, sports nutrition, and training programs. I am not a coach, a doctor, a therapist, or a nutrition expert. I have found some things that have worked well for me, and I thought I would like to share those. Thanks for checking out my site.