Ben Davis - Do Life: The Creator of My 120-Pound Journey Shows How to Run Better, Go Farther, and Find Happiness

do life

The Creator of

MY 120-POUND JOURNEY

Shows How to Run Better,

Go Farther, and Find Happiness

BEN DAVIS

NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY

N EW A MERICAN L IBRARY

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Published by New American Library,

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Copyright Ben Davis, 2012

Foreword copyright Kara Goucher, 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

All text photos courtesy of the author except the top photo on page ii courtesy of Aaron Pass Photography and the photo on page 105 courtesy of Gemma Lawson.

REGISTERED TRADEMARKMARCA REGISTRADA

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA:

Davis, Ben.

Do life: the creator of my 120-pound journey shows how to run better,

go farther, and find happiness/Ben Davis.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-101-59834-4

1. Marathon runningTraining. 2. Ironman triathlons. I. Title.

GV1065.17.T73D38 2013

796.4252dc23

2012027815

PUBLISHERS NOTE

Outdoor recreational activities are by their very nature potentially hazardous. All participants in such activities must assume the responsibility for their own actions and safety. If you have any health problems or medical conditions, consult with your physician before undertaking any outdoor activities.The information contained in this guidebook cannot replace sound judgment and good decision making, which can help reduce risk exposure, nor does the scope of this book allow for disclosure of all the potential hazards and risks involved in such activities. Learn as much as possible about the outdoor recreational activities in which you participate, prepare for the unexpected, and be cautious. The reward will be a safer and more enjoyable experience.

The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision. The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained in this book.

While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers, Internet addresses and other contact information at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors, or for changes that occur after publication. Further, publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

To Meemaw, for encouraging me to find a little happiness

contents

foreword

y OU NEVER KNOW when you might be struck with a little inspiration.

A year ago my husband sent me a video on YouTube. It was the story of Ben Davis and the journey he had taken over the past two years of his life. His story deeply touched me. I literally had goose bumps and tears streaming down my face as I watched his video. Ben hasnt had the easiest life. Weighing in at 365 pounds, he felt depressed and defeated. He wasnt happy. He was drowning as his life slipped away.

The remarkable thing about Ben is that he found the courage to face his fears and found the power to take control of his life. He started to fight. He didnt have any gimmicks, any quick fixes; he just got out there and started running. The simple act of moving one foot in front of the other started to give Ben hope. He started to go a little farther and a little farther until he was ready to run a 5K. Then came a 10K, a half marathon, and eventually a marathon. Ben has even done something I only dream about: He has completed an Ironman. Two Ironmans. Ben took himself from helplessness to living life to the fullest.

We all have fears in life. My fears are about not being a good mother, wife, and athlete. I recently went through a time in my career where I realized I wasnt happy. I was just going though the motions, but not living. After months of making excuses, I finally had to face my fears and find another coach. It was extremely stressful, but the journey was well worth it.

What finally gave me the inspiration to make the change? People like Ben Davis. Ordinary people doing miraculous thingsthis is what Ben is about. If he could find the courage to start a journey that would be painful, emotionally exhausting, and extremely long, then why I was hiding from my fears? Bens journey was much more difficult than mine and he found the strength to start. I knew I had to start my own.

If you look up the word inspire in the dictionary, youll find it says prompt to extraordinary actions. Ben found the prompt to change his life. A little inspiration led to him taking control and gaining a life that was passing him by. He is just an average guy who decided to take the road less traveled. He chose living over safe and comfortable. I hope that you can find the inspiration you are looking for in him. I hope it leads to extraordinary actions for all of you. I know it did for me. Three months after finding the courage to seek out a new coach, I made the 2012 Olympic Marathon team.

Ben inspired me. How will he inspire you?

Kara Goucher

introduction

i M ASKED QUITE often what keeps me going. What keeps me running, what makes me want to eat healthy foods, what makes me want to run five, ten, sometimes twenty miles? Why would I want to put myself through that, for lack of a better word, agony? The simple answer is that its worth it. I made a decision four years ago to get a grip on my life. To take control. I called it doing life. But what did that mean?

I certainly didnt always know the answer. For the vast majority of my life, I suffered from a crippling food addiction that led me into a downward spiral of depression, overeating, self - hatred , and eventually morbid obesity. It left me feeling lonely, empty, and sad, and I slowly began to isolate myself so that nobody would see what I had become. My relationships suffered. My girlfriend left me. I hid from and lied to the few friends I had left. But mostly, I lied to myself. It hurt too much to face the truth, and I settled into a sense of despair as my entire life disintegrated along with my health.