Do Life Tour Concludes, Tops 1,000,000 Calories Burned

The first ever Do Life Tour led by the inspirational Ben Davis came to it's conclusion on Wednesday following the Seattle event.

After the Tour's whirlwind 40 day stretch in which they hosted events in 32 cities across the United States and Canada, the final results are truly remarkable.

1,546 people came out to Do Life. They ran 4,756 miles which burned over 1,000,000 calories. Those are staggering and impressive numbers to say the least.

Those aren't the only impressive numbers to come out of the Tour.

At the events, the participants shared their stories of how Ben and his message inspired them to Do Life and become healthier and happier. All told, those who attended had lost over 30,000 pounds since making the decision to Do Life.

Here is just a small sampling of quotes from Do Lifers:

“I had such a great time with all of the people Doing Life in San Francisco!”

“Ben, it was SOO great to meet you and a lot of other awesome people today. What an inspiration you are to so many!!”

“Thank you to Pa and Ben for an awesome time yesterday in Omaha. It was well worth the 3 hour drive to Omaha. And thank you to Ben for being the inspiration I needed to start my journey.”

“I got a tattoo of Do Life on my left forearm [after the St. Louis event]. Every time I look at it, it reminds me to continue to Do Life. Thanks for being a piece of the puzzle on my transformation.”

With the tour now over, Ben will continue to serve as the AllSport GPS Ambassador, and there will be many fun and exciting things happening over the coming months to keep an eye out for. In the meantime, be sure to like AllSport GPS and the Do Life Movement on Facebook for the latest news and information.

Falling Off the Path and How to Get Back On

This is the latest in a series of blog entries by Ben Davis, the AllSport GPS Ambassador.

“Dude,” I said. “I’m not doing it.”

It was a call I had known I was going to make for a few days. I’d needed to build up courage to actually do it, and I finally had.

“What?” Jed replied. “Why?”

“I haven’t done anything for the past three weeks,” I said. “I haven’t trained at all.”

It was May, 2009, a week from what was supposed to be our first half-marathon, and I was quitting on my brother. Quitting on myself.

Six months had gone by from when we started and I was down 90 pounds. As much as I hate to admit it, a bad attitude had set in. I felt entitled. I felt accomplished. I felt complacent.

I felt arrogant.

For the first time in my life, I noticed girls occasionally looking my way. People were nicer to me. Life was better, school was better, dating was better. So maybe I deserved a little attention. Maybe I deserved to not run every day or eat right every meal or…or…or.

And so that’s what I did. I quit. Just like I had many times before, in 2003 and 2005 and 2007.

For three weeks I ate McDonald’s, gambled too much and only ran when I felt guilty enough. It was the beginning of the end. The beginning of the inevitable spiral back to where I started.

And then, my dad called.

“Dude,” he said. “I’m flying in. I’ve secretly been training and I’m not missing the first half-marathon.”

Up until that point, it had been Jed and me doing this deal. Doing life and figuring it out as we went. Pa lived in Vermont and I rarely talked to him. But now he had joined the team and I couldn’t let him down.

I would run the half-marathon even if it killed me.

And it almost did.

When I passed the seven-mile mark, I was in new territory. I had never run that far. Not a good situation to be in when you’re running your first half-marathon. By mile nine, my feet were so shredded I took my shoes off. And by mile 12, I was running on sheer anger. I was angry at myself because I had gotten myself into this mess. I could have put the work in, but I didn't.

But I finished. And I hugged my dad and brother. I even hugged a stranger.

And the fire was reignited.

It took some soul-searching to get over myself. It took a dad who is much wiser and a brother who cares enough to tell it to me straight.

This isn’t about me. It’s not about entitlement. I don’t deserve anything. It’s about life and finding ways to make it exciting. Satisfying.

Worthwhile.

There are going to be times we feel things slipping away. Maybe it’s happening for you right now. Maybe it’s not. But it’s not worth it to quit. You know that and so do I. You know what is worth it, though? Stopping yourself dead in your tracks, kicking your own tail, putting your running shoes on and pulling yourself together. That’s what’s worth it.

That, and, y’know, being faster than your older brother. That’s worth it, too.

The Do Life Tour Set to End With a Bang

The summer's biggest blockbuster is nearing it's exciting conclusion.

After 30 events, the Do Life Tour is now down to it's final two.

Portland, OR will host Ben Davis and crew on Tuesday, with the run getting started at 6:30. Meet at the Maritime Museum at that time to join in the fun.

The grand finale of the cross-country adventure takes place in Seattle on Wednesday. Participants should meet at the Crew House at Green Lake at 6:30 with their running shoes and a desire to have a great time.

To date, the Tour has drawn 1,410 people out and they have combined to burn nearly 1,000,000 calories and cover 5,000 miles--truly remarkable figures.

There will be no rest for Ben after the Tour, as he will be participating in his second Ironman triathlon on Saturday. He will also continue to serve as the official AllSport GPS Ambassador, so be sure to be ready for lots of exciting happenings over the coming months.

The Other Amazing Benefits of Running

Mitch, a restaurant manager, ran with us the other day in Omaha. He was telling me about the day last week when he ran the 2 miles to work and all his employees noticed a marked difference in his demeanor. Instead of being surly and negative, he was uncharacteristically upbeat. He actually whistled throughout the morning.

Martha, an insurance executive in Hartford, Connecticut told me a couple of weeks ago that she’d discovered a direct link between her running and her mental acuity. “There isn’t a problem so big that a good long run can’t solve.”

Martha’s theory holds true with me; I feel my most creative and productive in the midst of a long run.

Over the course of the Do Life tour, we’ve heard countless stories like these. Many of the people who come out to run with us do so primarily for the weight loss benefits associated with increased physical activity. Or they’ve already lost the weight and they’re on a maintenance regimen. The welcome side-effect of exercise that everyone we’ve talked to has experienced is how much better their brains work. Heightened awareness, increased mental productivity and work-ethic, boredom and lethargy replaced by enthusiasm and energy. Through running and exercise we have become better bosses and employees, students and family members – we’ve tapped into the power that exists between the legs and the head.

I don’t pretend to know any of the actual physiology at play in this relationship, but I think it goes something like this: As we exercise our hearts and lungs work harder and provide more oxygenated blood to our brains, enhancing our thinking processes. Just as I don’t need to understand how electricity works to plug in and use an appliance, I don’t need to completely understand cardiovascular science to be able to tap into the many benefits of running. I’m content to put in the miles and reap the rewards of being a better writer, a more creative problem solver, and a more productive and happier person in general.

See you out there.

The Do Life Tour Rolls on to the Plains

With 22 events down, the Do Life Tour is gearing up for the home stretch.

Like The Beatles before them, Ben Davis and crew are going to Kansas City. It's just a one, two, three, four, five...well, it's a 5K as always, and the fun starts at 6:30pm at Penn Valley Park.

The Tour then heads north to Minneapolis on Thursday. All Twin City residents are invited to come out at 6:30pm for the run. Here's a map to the starting location.

After a day of rest on Friday, Ben will come to Cornhusker Country in Omaha, Nebraska. The event begins at 10:15am at the Heartland of America Park.

Don't miss what over 1,000 other people have experienced so far. The Do Life Tour has burned over 600,000 calories thus far and run over 3,000 miles!

Be sure to check out the Do Life Tour photo gallery.

See you there.

Overcoming Your Fear to Take That First Step

The day I started my journey to lose weight, get my health back, and find happiness, my brother and I decided to start running.

It was a frightening prospect and one that I wasn't too keen on at first. No, it wasn't the potential for sore legs or the burning in the lungs that was turning me off of the idea; it was the fact that people might...see me. The idea that with ever step my 360-pound body took, my body would jiggle embarrassingly and people would point, laugh and ridicule.

But we did it anyway. We started slowly and we never looked back.

I was reminded of my early fears when I was running last Thursday at the Do Life Tour Buffalo stop. I had the honor to run next to a brand new runner named Nancy. She had been going for a little over ten weeks. When I asked her how her training had been going, she revealed that up until today, all her runs had been inside her home. I assumed she meant a treadmill. She did not.

Nancy had spent the past 12 weeks running laps through her house to get her mileage in. Bedroom to kitchen to dining room and back to bedroom. And she was doing it because she was, what she called, ashamed to run outside for fear that people would see her. It was the exact fear that I had encountered two and a half years prior.

But I had learned from my experience and I tried to convey the message to Nancy as she found her way to her first-ever 5K finish line in an impressive 49 minutes.

This fear of the outside--of people seeing us bettering our lives--it is certainly a real fear, but that doesn't mean it has merit.

Think about it... When was the last time you were driving around, happened to see someone out running and thought, "Wow... what a loser."? You didn't. It simply doesn't happen.

Nancy faced her fear and busted through it in a big way last Thursday and I consider myself lucky to have shared the road with her.

And she sets an excellent example. We have to figure out a way to grab life--to Do Life. It's necessary. And it's always, always worth it.

See you out there.