Welcome, thank you for visiting The Triathlon Optimist and taking a few minutes to get to know me.

My name is Howard but my friends and family call me Howie. I was born and raised in Brooklyn NY and later moved to NJ with my family. I am fortunate to have a beautiful wife and two wonderful daughters who share my love of the great out doors.

I have always had a love for bicycle riding ever since I was a little kid. Most of my time spent as a kid was riding in the park with friends. It has always been something I enjoyed doing so it seemed natural for me to return to it for exercise. This was my main motivation for getting back into the sport but little did I know where this was going.

Being 6′2″ I could always carry a few extra pounds but when I hit 250 I knew it was time for action, no excuses. I admit I have had a on and off affair with the gym for the last 20 years. The gym has always been there but it was never something I looked forward to. It is more of a chore for me and that why biking riding seemed like a natural choice for exercise. Since I was living in the suburbs mountain biking seemed like a good choice with some many beautiful parks right in my backyard.

I spent the better part of the summer of ‘08 exploring the great trails in my backyard. There is awesome single track here and my fitness began to improve. During the off-season I kept to my training and diet. I worked extremely hard and was focused. The weight began to fall off which opened other opportunities to exercise. Since I had access to fantastic facilities at the YMCA I began to run on the treadmill to expand my cardio. Next it was into the pool. It just seemed to work and I enjoyed all of the sports.

Since starting this journey I have managed to lose just under 70 lbs and have maintained my weight. I am starting to feel like an athlete instead of a couch potato. I am personally proud of my healthy transformation but am more proud of the influence it has had on my children and family. I hope to serve as motivation to others who do not believe what can be accomplished if you stay focused and motivated.

I have affirmed my commitment to a healthy lifestyle as my journey his its first anniversary and have my first triathlon events on the calendar

Goal1: Triathlon/Duathlon for Autism presented by Belmar, Lake Como and Spring Lake Sunday, August 02, 2009

Goal2: Dottie’s House END OF SEASON TRIATHLON/DUATHLON Sunday October 11, 2009

This blog is about my journey learning the sport and the people that make it great. I look forward to sharing that experience and getting to know all of you better.

Best wishes,

Howie