God
He is the most important person in my life. I wouldn't be true to myself if I didn't list the many blessings God has given as one of the reasons I run. God has given me His grace. Grace has been defined as "not getting what you deserve and getting what you don't deserve." This is certainly true in my case. I ballooned up to 251 pounds at my highest weight. I'm only 5'6" so I was a bowling ball! Unhealthy. No exercising habits to speak of. Poor eater in terms of healthy eating. I was a borderline diabetic. Has some heart issues. I did all of this to myself. No one held a gun to my head and forced me into this lifestyle. I DID IT! I certainly didn't deserve a second chance at health, but He gave it to me! I got on a program to get gastric by pass surgery January of 2014 and as of this morning I've dropped over 90 lbs! Sure I celebrate the weight loss and being able to keep it off going on 2 years but I KNOW without God I'm not here or successful. More about that later too
Social Media
This on the surface may seem vain to you, but let me explain something. When people (like myself) post runs or workouts on social media it's directed at 2 specific people/groups:
1. The little voice that tells you 'don't go out. you don't need to run/work out today. Stay home where it's comfortable. You've done enough'
2. It's directed at the person who reads the post and NEEDS that post. Just like I mentioned this morning, I was battling the little voice in my head who said stay in bed. I saw some of my brothers who beat that little voice and their post ENCOURAGED me. It got me going. Many, many times I see people posting runs, walks, work outs whatever and I get encouraged! I'm happy for them! I see people who run faster and longer than me and their posts push me! They give me the goal to set before myself! So, when you're on Facebook or Twitter or any other social media and you see my post or anyone else's know WHY they're posting. It's to brag--to that little voice that says stop and its to encourage that person who otherwise may not have started
BMR/BGR
My wife Christy started running with BGR (Black Girls Run). I didn't get it. We live in a beautiful community with plenty of areas to walk/run in. Why drive somewhere else to meet other people to go walk/run? Seemed like a waste of gas to me (especially when gas was like $4/gallon). She kept encouraging me to get with BMR back in February of this year when I started to exercise again. NOPE! I didn't need to run with a group. I had all the land I needed right here! Trained and ran my first 5K in 4 years right here too. It was the first time I ran a 5K all the way through without walking. I figured I'd run a 5K every quarter for the rest of the year. I started following BMR on Facebook. Saw some of the postings and the runs--cool, just not for me. Then June we ran an impromtu 5k at NoDa Brewery. I met some of the fellas at the race. Took a group picture with them though I felt out of place like I didn't belong. I mean I had never gone out on a run with them so it was kind of weird for me. I ran that race all the way through and beat my previous time (PR--Personal Record). I decided to start meeting with BMR on their Monday and Wednesday runs. I messaged our Capt Greg and asked how long did they run? I mean to me these guys were semi pro runners! They were in a running club! I was only hoping to keep pace with them. Greg told me "your race, your pace. We stay until the last guy comes in. We just ask whatever distance you run you finish w/in an hour." OH COOL! I can do that. Went out with them on a Monday at the greenway and had a great run! I was so used to the hills of Highland Creek running flatlands on the greenway was a breeze! that soon became a healthy addiction. I got to know a bunch of great guys. One of the best parts is unlike a lot of "clubs" or sports you get into they ALL GENUINELY encouraged you every step! If you were running a race they came out to support you (and these races get going early). Sometimes ran along side you. They even TRICK you into running your first half marathon after only ever running a 5k! LOL. I had knee problems no doctor was diagnosing right. I was training for my 1st half marathon and I hit a pretty big set back. I couldn't run--not a bit! I was frustrated and depressed. What I loved was being taken from me and no one could tell me why. I was about 2 weeks from the race and posted on FB that I hit a set back. Within 5 minutes I got a call from one of my brothers John who said "hey we're getting through this half! If I got to walk you through this thing myself that's what we're gonna do!" I just met John through BMR a month or two ago when he made that call to me. John has been battling his own challenges. This was his 1st half marathon too and I knew how hard he had been working. I told John I would not let him waste his training waiting on me to get through this. I NEEDED him to run his race. My faith in God would not allow me to give up! John's words gave me the courage and the resolve I needed. Come hell or high water I was finishing! And I did...
Family/Fitness
There is so much I can put here. I can add my BMR/BGR family. My church family, but for these purposes I'll say this is related to my wife, kids and grandsons. December 2012 a very good friend of mine passed away suddenly. It shocked me. I was recovering from a torn achilles and picking up weight I had previously lost. My friend KJ dying really made me look at my life. In early 2013 I found out I was going to be a grandfather (Pop Pop). I was out of shape. Morbidly obese and honestly didn't think I would live another 5 years at this pace. I wanted/needed to see my grandson! I wanted my kids to have a dad. I wanted to grow old with my wife. I was not putting myself in position to do any of that. So I started on the path for getting gastric by pass surgery. They told me my max weight loss would be down to 187 lbs. That was great! They also told me if I didn't take care of myself I could stretch my stomach back and regain the weight. There were quite a few people at work that had gotten the surgery and had gained the weight back. That terrified me! In order for me to lose the weight and keep it off I had to exercise! I had done too much damage to my knees and couldn't play basketball like I used to. I don't like cycling so that left golf or running. Golf is nice but expensive and weather dependent. Running/walking is FREE and available anywhere. I started walking then running and walking and competing. It gave me a new body. It gave my kids a new dad and my wife a new husband. Since, I've also been blessed with a second grandson as well. My family is my world. I owed it to them to do whatever I could to get healthy.
So for those of you who are contemplating whether to run/walk/workout, I say DO IT! Don't listen to the little voices in your head or the doubters who tell you you can't. I didn't start out 2015 thinking I would run (6) 5K, (11) 10K (2) half marathons in less than 10 months, but with God's grace I did! Don't wait until the new year get out today! Remember "it's your race and your pace!"
get it in!
