I'd like to share my story

The last biggest day/event in my life occurred at the end of July 2008 when I sat for the California Bar exam in Oakland, California. More than two years later, that will be replaced by the Louisville Ironman on August 29, 2010. The two events are significantly intertwined with respect to my life.

About five years ago just before starting law school, I weighed about 300 pounds. Having been overweight for most of my life, I've accepted it as a way of living. I avoided photographs, mirrors, and stretched out my shirts in an attempt to avoid increasing a shirt size. Public places and parties were questionable, and making an appearance at the gym was more than a chore - it was a reluctant production.



I didn't become successful at losing weight until I was in the thick of law school. Being in San Diego, and near Balboa Park, I had easy access to go running or walking with a friend late at night for study breaks. A substantial portion of my weight dropped when I first altered my diet. I ate less fast food, and cooked more meals.

I started running. My first run after years of not running consistently, I was only able to jog a mile. It took more than 15 minutes, and I walked several times. At the end of it, I felt like I had been laboring all day.

It took time, but I lost the weight.
...

I made the decision to be a lawyer in college, and was pretty set on going to law school. I really liked it because I like that way of thinking. I was a philosophy major in undergrad, and it was the natural progression. I knew I wanted to help people with my law degree going in.

Upon graduation, it became a little more apparent that legal jobs across the spectrum were few and far between, particularly those in non profit. I felt so relieved when the firm I was temping at offered me a position after being unemployed and doing odd jobs for the better part of the year.

The work was fine, but the lifestyle was difficult on my body. After having lost the weight, and at this point being a full blown triathlete, I found it difficult to work in an office setting at 12 hour a day stretches - I once overnight-ed three days in a row. Sitting in front of my computer cooped up indoors dampened me, and was making me physically and emotionally sick once again - something I fought so hard through the years to ward off by picking up an active life style and eating better. I found it difficult to be happy to not be able to do something I've really come to love during the weekend - being able to train without disruption. Me and a few of the other first year associates were always on call. The emails and phone calls dictated our physical and social lives.

I won't go into the details, but I took a chance and left my firm without employment lined up. I knew I wanted something different, and I knew I needed to try something else while I still had the chance. I provided my resignation, and told my firm I needed to be able to do more triathlons.

...

About a week ago, I began employment at OneTri.com. I haven't regretted my decision to make the shift. I'm working in an industry that I'm personally involved in - one involving swimming, biking, running, and of course, nutrition aka food. The biggest difference I notice immediately is the mission of my job. Here, I feel like my goal is to promote an active life style that I believe in.



I think this is something I don't want to shift away from for a while.

Edited by californiawill 2010-08-09 10:11 PM