Mrsilva

I wrote this about 5 years ago as a guest post for the Fleet Feet Chicago blog. It's called, "Overcome New Runner’s Anxiety: Learning to Ignore What “They” Have To Say" https://runningbig.wordpress.com/2012/12/13/overcome-new-runners-anxiety-learning-to-ignore-what-they-have-to-say/

The surgery sucks but at least for me it worked. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

A sleep study is critical for sleep apnea. I took one many years ago and was shocked by the results. Not only do you sleep poorly, you stop breathing, and your O2 levels drop. Mine was so severe, I had surgery to correct it. It causes a vicious cycle. You don't sleep, so you're tired all the time. You're tired all the time, so you don't exercise. You don't exercise, you gain weight. You gain weight, your sleep apnea gets worse. Your sleep apnea gets worse, you don't sleep. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

I'm a bit of an anomaly; I'm pretty healthy overall but overweight. I'm in what is probably a record setting weight loss plateau. A while back, I weighed over 400 lbs. I started losing weight after sleep apnea surgery and started running when I became a dad in 2009. I got down to about 240 in 2013, the year I ran my first marathon. Last year, I did the Steelhead Ironman 70.3 and last week I completed the Chicago Marathon. I've been between 250 and 260 for 3 years now. I'm in a running rut and finally taking the advice of multiple coaches and starting strength training. I turned 45 this year, and I hope to complete a full Ironman by the time I turn 50. My other main goal is to be a fit, strong, and healthy example for my son.