An Introduction Is in Order

My name is David Ely.  I'm currently living in Salem, MA and moved here 5 years ago from Broomfield, Colorado.  I spent 17 years in Colorado, after growing up in Nebraska.  As a farm kid, I was outdoors a lot and I grew passionate about nature and the environment.  I grew up hunting, fishing, trapping, and birdwatching.  I took my love of these things with me to Hastings College where I majored in Biology and Creative Writing.  I transferred to Colorado State University and earned a B.S. in Wildlife Biology.  Though I've seldom worked in my field of study, I continue to learn more about nature almost daily and recreate outdoors whenever I can. 

In addition to my affinity for the natural world, I have also become an avid exerciser and fitness guru.  Often, I combine my interests by working out or staying healthy outdoors.  My activities outdoors include running, cycling, hiking, nature photography, birding, and whale watching, just to name a few.  I also hit the gym regularly, doing strength workouts, intervals, cardio, and sometimes group classes. 

Over the years I found myself becoming more and more interested in nutrition and fitness.  I read Men's Health and Runner's World from cover-to-cover.  I even watched all the early morning infomercials just to see the different workouts.  I became addicted to such reality shows as The Biggest Loser, Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition, Heavy, and I Used to Be Fat.  I was amazed and inspired by the trainers on these programs and even more amazed and inspired by the determined people that decided to change their lives and get healthy.  I decided I wanted to be involved in helping people to change their lives.  I decided to become a Certified Personal Trainer.  In August 2012, I took and passed the ACE (American Council on Exercise) Personal Trainer Certification Exam.  In an effort to learn even more and I have now undertaken another ACE certification study program.  This one is Lifestyle and Weight Management Coach.  I hope to add this to my resume by late November 2012.

I have been married to my wife, Rosanna, for 14 years and we currently have a furry, four-legged child named, Cooper.  We love hiking, running, and walking with our dog and it is a great way to commit to exercise.  We have no yard, so lucky Mr. Cooper gets out several times a day and walks around 5-7 miles with us on our daily excursions.  He actually has a blog of his own, which most people say is pretty funny (though I may be ever so slightly biased).  You can check it out at www.thesalemdog.blogspot.com

I have no concrete ideas about the things I will write about in my blog and I really struggled to come up with a title for it.  I was thinking of things like "my life" or "everything and anything."  The point is, I don't know what I'll write from one day to the next.  I will probably write about birds.  I will probably post about whale watches.  There may be pictures of insects.  There will probably be recipes, nutrition tips, posts about my exercises, and other activities.  I only hope you enjoy reading it and seeing the pictures.  I welcome your comments and critiques.  I encourage your questions.  If I don't know the answer, we will learn it together. 

Thanks for spending a few moments of your time with me and I hope you enjoy whats to come.