The Phoenix: Goodbye Columbus. Hello... Not... Columbus... I miss you already!

An pictoral Ode To Antrim(mostly) and Columbus will be displayed throughout this post.

As of June 21st, I was 326 lbs.

Today, November 9th, I am 272 lbs.

It's been a month since my last post, but it has been a hairy month since then. A huge staple to my progress, NoBo/MIT, the city of Columbus, and the amazing and helpful people, such as Chelsea, Susan and Tori, have been removed (hopefully temporarily). The Wife and I have moved to Lafayette In. and, while nice, it doesn't have the quality of life that Columbus does.

That's OK. My journey isn't about the city, it's about me

BUT this particular blog IS about the city.

Don't skip ahead, but right before I moved, the last picture in this blog was my last sunrise in Columbus, and a friend told me 'Don't worry. Indiana has sunrises too.' Dude... you're not a runner, you wouldn't understand a Antrim sunrise like a runner does. Just because Indiana has a sunrise, doesn't mean it will replace this work of majestic art. I am sure there are places in the world with similar sunrises, good for a runner's soul, but they take searching. Every Saturday Morning when I would I come off of the Olentangy Trail to the Antrim Loop, it was an indescribable, overwhelming feeling of fortune.

And it is a weird event too, because I run in the sunlight before and after Antrim on the trail, but there is something different there. My first time there, the running coach with me was trying to explain the sunrise and gave up. She finished by saying,'It's hard to describe, you just have to see it for yourself'. She was spot on. These pictures don't often do it justice. You need to go there and experience it for yourself(click here)

Columbus was labeled the 5th fattest city in the United States in 2001, which brought about a new city slogan- Commit To Be Fit. The city lives it, breathes it and loves it. Somewhere, every week, there is probably 3-5 5K's taking place with thousands of people partaking in them. People are kind along the way as well. The city is encouraging biking throughout the city. Most main roads now carry at least a shared lane for bikers. In 2010, Columbus was rated th 19th fittest city in the US. In 2011 the Ohio State University was Ranked 1st among colleges and universities.

They say being healthy and fit is a choice, with which I agree. I am here to tell you it's a much easier choice when the majority of a city has decided it together.

I spoke in a previous blog about doing a half marathon, the date is set. May 5th, 2012, I will be among the over 12,500 runner's in the bicentennial Capital City Half Marathon. Also on my agenda looks like a visit to a Tough Mudder event in April.