I sent this story in to the Clif Company. They liked it so much, they sent me a free t-shirt and one dozen Clif Bars, flavor my choice.
I'm a 47 year old Former Fatty! I started walking for exercise and to lose weight in December of 2004 after my doctor told me I might as well stay fat, because yo yo dieting was going to be worse for my health than being fat and fit.
Now, I am a marathon walker, training for my first ultra trail race. I have completed 2 full marathons and am training for a fall marathon and 50k trail race, then two more marathons by April 2009.
I always walk, I'm not a runner, and I have started cycling as well. My ultimate goal is to become an American Centurion (someone who has walked 100+ miles in 24 hours or less at an approved event).
I usually ride my bicycle every day for my daily commute; the total miles per day are around 4. I also cycle for cross training twice a week. I drive the car if the weather is bad, or if I have the need to go out of town for work (the nearest remote location for my job is 30 miles, a little too far for me to go to work and back home in a day).
I live in a small town and am pretty close to my job. It has been real interesting; folks just don't understand in small town Texas why I ride my bike when I own a perfectly good car. I was afraid folks would think my car had been repossessed. lol
I only own an inexpensive bike I bought at Wal-Mart, and it has served me well. I assume I will need a better ride if I plan to add a lot more weekly mileage to the 40 - 50 miles per week. But, that's ok.
I was real excited to read about the Clif Bar 2 mile challenge. I hope the concept catches on and I begin to see more and more bicycles on the road!
