Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Every Journey Starts With A Single Step


Kerie and I ran a 5k race this past Saturday. For us in these here United States, that's 3.1 miles. Kerie finished in about 35 minutes, I finished in a little under 24. We didn't actually expect to do as good as we did. I came in 2nd in my age group (30 to 44) and 4th place overall. I will wait a moment until the applause dies down.

Ok. Thank you.

Now I write this short blog not to brag (ok, maybe just a little) but to make a point about getting from where you are to your goal.

If you are at a place where you are overweight and out of shape, and you hear people like us talk about not only running 5ks but running them well, you may have the same kind of reaction we used to have. You see it as different, weird, and unattainable. And that is ok, because you don't want to attain it anyway!

So we cope by making jokes about only running if something is chasing us. Ha ha.

Now don't get me wrong. Now that I am a runner, I am not touchy about it in the least. I've been on both sides and understand. And this blog isn't about running. Running isn't the solution to obesity, and it isn't the only way to fitness. Remember, this blog is about getting to a goal.

If you'd have asked me last fall if I'd have fun a 5k this year, let alone do really well, I would have probably made some joke about only running with something chasing me (it just won't go away). It seemed impossible then, and it wasn't one of my goals when we started losing weight. All I could see in front of me was shedding a few pounds. That's it.

But for some, even that goal now seems impossible. You're glad for others who do it, and you'd like it for yourself, but it just seems impossible at this point. There must be something special about those who make it, right?

Let me tell you, there is nothing special about us that made it any easier to reach our goals. Just take a look at this photo:

It's my favorite before photo of me . Do I look ilke the kind of guy who'd run a 5k? Do I look like the kind of guy that would even get up early on a Saturday to drive someone else to a 5k? No!

But I did start on the journey, one step at a time. The first day I exercised, I walked. I walked a half a mile on my road, and I thought I was going to die. Day after day, however, my body was changing. It wasn't fast, it wasn't perceptible right way, but it happened. And it isn't because I am special, no matter what my mom says. The human body will respond. It will change.

So let me encourage you. If you have a body, you can lose weight. You can be fit.



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