As a youngster I was very active; I made my swim and track teams letters in High School. I maintained a regular fitness base through college, and in later years; I began living a very sedentary life, I worked in the IT industry and in 1993 I was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Waiting to die, I was very content with spending my days watching TV and drinking a couple liters of soda a day...not to mention my 2 pack-a day cigarette vice.
My hobbies were inviting my friends to eat out at greasy spoons, and not leaving the table until I was ready to burst at the seams, but you know, I really thought I was living it up. In the mornings, I would spend the first couple of hours dreading I was alive. There came a point, where I knew inside, that I was out of shape, and grossly obese. I decided to lose weight, so I got me a full complement of weight loss pills, etc.......next thing I know, I was literally crawling into the hospital, as I passed out on the reception desk, clutching my HMO card.
The slew of complications to my health, was made worse by the cocktail I was taking of ephedra, calcium pills ( 19% bone density loss), a can or two of soda, about every 1/2 hour, and the tons of aspirins, ibuprophen for all my aches and pains. My heart pressure was so high, I could use it to put payloads up in space. My ankles were swollen, and I had to constantly buy bigger sizes of clothes.
One day, I heard the word "remission". I remembered an old comedy where the star was told he was going to die, so he did all the things that was bad for him....then towards the end, he was told otherwise. My remission was like that. I panicked at all the damage I had done to my body, by virtue of bad living. This was my epiphany: I started by quitting smoking. Cold turkey. No gum, no patches, no excuses. I remembered my Tai Chi to get me through each nicotine fit. Today, I can't fathom the idea that I ever smoked. Next, I got rid of my soda addiction; then ice cream, fast food, etc....
In the meantime, I started applying everything I knew from my former fitness days, to get into shape. I tried hiring a personal trainer, but they didn't care about what I was trying to do. I went through several; They all were more interested in selling me "fitness packs" than tackling my issues. One of them didn't want to talk to me, when I told him I was a smoker. I decided to study what they had to study; I began to study the contemporary subjects, but I quickly ran out. I had to enter a formal curriculum study program in order to learn to become not just fit, but a fit person.
As I became fit, I began to contemplate entering in races. The first 5 kilometer race I ran in 17 years, I came in pretty close to the cut off time of 45 minutes. But I was happy to be there. I was also pronounced cancer free for the 6th year. 
I've picked up a win or two, along the way....
I realized, on the first year of my recovery, that fitness was no longer something I did to look better and lose weight. In fact, I only lost 30 pounds. ( the rest turned into muscle). I put fun into fitness. Its not about spending hours on the gym, lifting weights while watching tv. Its about laughing, enjoying life, and working hard to be able to the things most people cringe about. I love going mountain biking, and challenging myself to the next big hill. ( on the mountain, and in life). I can now run faster, in my mid-forties, than I used to, at the age of 17. I thought I would mention this, because to me, there is no bigger payoff. 
I hold one post graduate Science degree in addition to 2 undergraduate degrees, not fitness related. I prominently display all fitness and business licenses and related certifications in my studio for your inspection.
I make study a part of my everyday routine, to include new information in the health and fitness field, and research to help my clients with any special needs they may have.
I have been around the block and learned my industry. This is an industry bent on profit and long term retention. I swim against this tide. I have to fight it, every time someone who is skeptical contacts me for an appointment. I need to make a living, but I am not going to do it, by lying to you. I like helping those people who want to make a concerted effort to help me, help them. I will not promise you rapid weight loss, a sculptured body in one month, nor I will promise you what is medically impossible.
The fact is, I am here to teach you how to train your body. My role is to teach myself out of my job. Having a personal trainer is like hiring a personal tutor, and you should never allow yourself to become trapped in a gym membership, dependant on a trainer or a financial commitment. Once you learn how to train your body properly, all you will need is a minimum amount of affordable equipment, to keep your fitness level according to your goals. BUT, if you are looking for social interaction, then come work out with me, we can always arrange something.
I run more than most people should be allowed to. I eat well, sleep well, and I workout like it's an obsession: I'm not emaciated, because not everyone should look like they survived the dark ages.
I catch a lot of flak from the rest of the industry for letting these facts be known....
Introducing, Margret:
In this picture, she had just crossed the finish line at the race for cooperative development. I think she was looking for the food table, hence the concentration expression in her face. Not too shabby for someone who had asthma only 5 years ago...
Margret has been studying Martial Arts for the past 15 years. Her current interest involves Filipino fighting systems
She is also a Certified Fitness Instructor as well as a Certified Yoga Instructor. Margret is the second person in the Run2Far Partnership. She has been working behind the scenes, since the beginning. She has been taking the walking group through the "walking with weights" workout on Sundays. You can be assured to meet her and share a laugh or two along the way.
What is Run2Far® ?
It's a phrase that stuck, one day I was going out for a run, and started asking people I knew, if they wanted to come along to keep me company, etc. As I kept asking people, they all kept telling me that they wouldn't join me because I run too far for them. I thought it was a great catchy phrase, and as I started easing into private practice, I thought I'd use it as the name for my company. Today, Run2Far® represents a fully licensed business dedicated to my ideals of helping people become fit and healthy, while having as much fun as I am having.
If you are looking for an Instructor truly dedicated to those ideals, give me us call; let's arrange an hour or two, to just chat while taking a stroll, a bike ride, a basketball game or whatever...we're not going to give you a hard sell, you decide how best to approach your program.
MJ