 Local guy gets “Fit From Fat”
Local pilot and Ohio resident, Michael Keller, woke up one day in March of 2006 and decided he didn’t like who and what he was becoming. There was too much of him, way too much of him. Citing the poor example he was setting for his two daughters as his main motivation, he set out to change everything about his lifestyle towards one that would bring him back to fitness.
Researching nutrition, cutting calories, burning more calories, he set out on his journey that is still going; wait until you hear how far he goes, and plans to go. The very first months saw him go from 316 lbs down to around 275 lbs, by eating a little less every day, eating better quality calories, and walking, walking and walking. He would wait until his daughters went to sleep at night, and then set out armed with a portable radio and the will to walk until his feet hurt. By his own admission, he started to wonder if the local police were going to stop him and ask why he was out walking for all these hours each night.
One day, after about 40 lbs had already been lost, he was in Sand Run metro park and a long distant 15 year old passion for running resurfaced in an instant desire to “run a little bit.” He picked out a tree a few hundred feet away and ran to it, slowly, and completely out of breath on arrival, but also exhilarated. This was repeated a few times that night. The next day on the same path, the little running spurts were roughly doubled in length, and by the end of that week, he challenged himself to run for one mile on a treadmill.By the end of this summer he entered and ran a 5k race in Independence, doing better than expected, but still having to walk a few times at the end. His neighbor, a local prolific marathoner, egged him on, asking him when the first marathon was. Mike was adamant in replying that this was never going to happen. By October, Mike ran his first half marathon (13.1 miles) and then on a crazy whim, entered a marathon two weeks later. He will tell you, the decision came about because he figured the only way he would be a loser was if he wanted to try the distance, but was instead at home on the couch. If he showed up and only ran 15-16 miles, it would still be his longest distance.
With the help and encouragement of other local runners, he finished it. Now, just over one year after that first marathon, Mike has committed to a lifetime of “going long.” He has run 6 marathons and 4 ultra marathons (races LONGER than marathons) including the local 100 mile race called the Burning River 100, where he completed 66 miles before dropping out due to time and discomfort. He used his same logic though, and is proud of his run, knowing that it was the longest run for him to date, and he plans on continuing to rise to that challenge to chase the horizon.
Having now shared his adventures in a book about his journey to Fit from Fat, he is planning several 100 mile races for 2008, and a run across the state of Ohio with the intent to raise money for a local chapter helping the mentally ill. We have placed a link to his blog on OhioOutside.com and his book can be found on Amazon.com, Zombie.com and several other online stores. So if you have wondered if you can change your life, consider Mike’s viewpoint on the matter: “Anyone can do it! Anyone! I am not special. It takes good friends, good advice, and a good dose of desire.”
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