Starting our virtual tour business was a lot like starting an exercise program.  When we started our vacation rental photography business three years ago, we had no idea what we were getting into or where our virtual tour business would take us.  We were starting from scratch and had so much to learn before we could even begin to set realistic goals.  

Real Tour Vision is a national virtual tour provider and we travel all over the country photographing virtual tours for healthcare companies.  We have photographed in 35 states in the past year and a half and while that means we have had some great adventures and seen some awesome places, it also means we have spent a ton of time in the car and eating fast food on the road.  Like most new businesses, we were on a tight budget which meant that our meal choices weren’t always the healthiest.

Let me start by saying that I am not an athlete. I have always wanted to exercise and have done it in spurts but was never consistent so I never reaped the benefits. I never played sports in school and I have never particularly enjoyed exercising.  My weight yo-yoed for years and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten fatter and lazier and it became more and more difficult to lose the extra pounds.  After my mother was diagnosed with diabetes, I realized that I was on the same path if I didn’t change something.

I started exercising with an app on my iPhone  called Couch to 5k where I alternate running and walking for 30 minutes and every week did a little more running and a little less walking until eventually I was able to run 5k or 3.2 miles without stopping. At the beginning, I was lucky if I could run/walk a mile and I was wiped out after I finished.  But as I put in the time, the miles got easier.  I followed the program and soon the goal of doing a 5k seemed way too easy.

Fifty days from right now, I hope to be somewhere near the finish line of my first half marathon – The St. Louis Rock and Roll Half Marathon.