Halfway: 12 Weeks Down, 12 to Go

So I've reached the halfway point to Ironman.  And so, far I'm off to a good start.  I feel myself getting progressively stronger.  The workouts feel about the same level of difficulty each time, but my training mileage has increased substantially.

In addition, on a more personal level, I'm on track to being in the best shape of my life -- both performance-wise and aesthetically.  Since starting in January, I've dropped from 29.7% body fat to 20.9% measured today.  Quite a nice improvement!  And I feel so much better without the extra weight (about 14 lbs. of fat).

Here are a side-by-side photos of me in January (blue) and me today (orange).  I am only brave enough to post these now because I don't look like the January photo anymore.

I wish I could say there was one big key to this difference.  Like "Ironman" or "magic Paleo diet" or "special weight lifting secrets."  But honestly, it's consistency and focus.  I was training hard last year too, but did not put as much consistency and focus into my nutrition or my training plan, so I wasn't in the same shape as I'm in now.  This year I am tackling both with diligence and intelligence.  And the results speak for themselves.

In light of my progress, I've added a new, more personal goal to my Ironman adventure.  I'd like to get back down to 17% body fat, which is the amount I had when I was in the best shape of my life (visually).  I think I can get there with consistent effort.