Introduction - Welcome

My name is Mike and I am interested in the outdoors and technology, which makes for an interesting combination. I  have a strong interest in computers and electronics of almost any kind. Some of my outdoor interests include running, hiking, biking, and photography. My computer background is due to my dad, who got me interested when I was just a few years old. I now work with VMware virtualization, EMC storage hardware, and a whole bunch of other fun things that I would never have even imagined work on years ago.

In 1997, I started a web site called Mountain Bike Pennsylvania (http://www.mountainbikepa.com/) and got my start on the web. I was doing a lot of biking at the time, and even led a few group rides here and there. That lasted for a few years, but then my activity levels started declining and I started gaining a little weight because I was working too much.

Fast forward to 2010, and I realized I needed to do something. My wife, Kristy, had recently found she had a great interest in yoga. I really needed to find something fun to get myself active again! During recent years, I had still been getting out for walks, hikes, and an occasional bike ride, but nothing of any significance. In April 2010, I started seeing posts on Facebook from a few of my friends about a shoe called the Vibram FiveFingers. I bought my first pair (KSO's) on May 1, just a few weeks before heading to Sedona, AZ for a vacation. I took the Vibram's as my primary footwear for hiking, and wore them for all but 2 hikes... about 25 miles in total! After returning home, I started wearing them everywhere, including a few local hikes.

I soon started reading about people running with the Vibram's, and so I eventually tried it, too. The last time I had run was my senior year of high school, many years ago. Getting my start with running was a slow process, and my first attempts were probably 1/3 jogging and 2/3 walking, but I was having fun trying. The weather was getting warmer and I started running more. I had finally found something I enjoyed! I ran my first 5K in July, then both ran and rode in the LIVESTRONG Challenge in August, and I just kept going from there. This year, I hope to run my first 10K, and then I am also going to run Broad Street. I will be repeating the LIVESTRONG Challenge again. I had a great experience there and really believe in the fight against cancer. I never knew that there were so many runs and rides to raise money for so many charities. I get to get out and do something I enjoy and help others at the same time.

My goal right now is to keep up with my running, and I know that I can do it as long as I keep it fun!