I spent most of my 20s and 30s burning the candle at both ends. After I graduated from business school, I worked for 15 years as an executive in the consumer goods and retail space. It was really stressful, and I had a lot of people to manage, so my health took a backseat to my career. At 38, I went in for my annual physical 40 pounds heavier than I am now. My doctor made it clear that my weight, especially considering my family history of diabetes , was a problem. He said, “You’re still young enough to easily make changes, but you need to start doing it now. It’s going to be a lot harder to make progress in five or 10 years.” How I Started Running and Racing I didn’t have an athletic background. Schoolwork, not sports, was the priority growing up. But despite having zero experience with running, I started jogging a couple of miles on the treadmill at the gym before and after work. Over the next few years, the extra weight gradually came off, and my health improved.…