Luis Bueno
I used to weigh 300-plus pounds and never cared about fitness, running, my appearance, anything. But in March 2006 I began my fitness journey with the help of a trainer at the local gym. I had an open-mind approach and stopped setting limits for myself. I lost 10 pounds a month for five consecutive months, dropped to 250 by the end of the year and, on my own, lost 60 more pounds in 2007. After losing 120 pounds in 20 months, I started running. Since I’d been used to meeting challenges it was a natural (but unintended) progression. I ran my first race, a 5K, in June 2008 and by February 2010 I ran my first marathon. Every run is a gift and I approach each run – whether it’s a four-mile recovery run or a 15-mile long-distance run, the same way. It’s the most important run of my life and I will do all I can to enjoy it and get the most out of it.