Thursday 26 January 2012: Peek at "Boo"...

I was challenged to put on a Self Portrait and interpret anyway I liked.

But I decided a self-portrait is exactly that, so here I am. "Richard" aka "Boo"

I'm a 40 something and if you were looking at me 7 months ago you wouldn't recognise me! On the 2nd June 2011 I smoked 20/30 cigarettes a day, weighed in at 14 stone, exercise was reaching inside a bag of crisps and munch munch munch and munch all night whilst watching TV. On that day I was at the doctors the day after I attended A&E when I thought something was seriously wrong? I got the results to find all I had was a water infection, but whilst at the doctors I got the usual bla de blah de blah about stopping smoking, reduce my weight and start to exercise, I left thinking I wish they would back off nagging about my lifestyle. I jumped into the car and went to light a cigarette and then I thought about my dad to passed away at the young age of 56 eight years ago. You see he had his first heart attack about the age I am now! It set me thinking that this was history repeating itself as my dad and I lived the same lifestyle.

That day I stopped smoking, started to diet, started going to bootcamp at work, stopped biting my nails (as I had always bitten them since I literally had teeth) and everybody thought I was crazy for doing to whole lot in one bash and I would cave in? The lot was cold turkey! 8 months on I still don't smoke, I now weigh in at 10 ½ stone, I run at least 5 times a week (min 5k per event) gone from a 40 inch flabby waist to a toned 30" waist and have manicured nails! I haven't watched TV for at least 5 months and do I miss the old Boo - NOPE! - In fact I now love running that much I find it helps me unwind, relax, chill out and also gives me an energy boost and a high and to think I only starting jogging at the end of July and I now run 5 & 10 K in athletic times is pretty amazing and tonight I actually got an announcement on my iPhone Nike + that I have now completed 250 miles!

All this has given me a whole new focus in life and has proved to me that I can do whatever I want to do.

That's Boo - Hope I haven't bored you too much?

• DMC-FZ28:
• f/3.8:
• 1/400":
• 75.3mm:
• ISO 100

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