Worth Every Drop!

Truth be told I am very nervous about this coming Marathon4Missions! At the beginning of the year, (in January) I set goals, lofty goals, dreams may be a better description of them…ones so ridiculously out of reach it is almost embarrassing to even think about them!

I have been focused…
I have trained all year…
I put in the work…

Yet some things happened that impacted all the work that has been invested over the last 365 days.

Sometimes things happened that were out of my control and other things happen as a result of my own bad choices!

I believe many people have the misconceptions that running, working out, or other physically challenging things are “easy & fun” for me. If anyone is wondering running is the hardest thing for me to do physically, this is why I do it. I have never been & never wanted to be a runner. It used to be when people called me a runner, I’d deny it by responding, “I am NOT a runner!” almost as if I was offended.

4.5 years ago you could have caught one of the most comical sights, my SICK attempt at taking a run. “One mile, that isn’t very far”, I thought to myself. Less then 100 meters into the run I’d find out how far it really was, BUT THE COOLEST THING HAPPENED that day, I DID NOT GIVE UP! I slowed…I walked, but I kept moving forward.

At 321lbs YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW BADLY I WANTED TO QUIT!!!

Day after day I told myself it’d get easier & it did somewhat. Once it started getting comfortable though I knew it was time to push myself a little more…faster, further, the journey continued.

Fast forward somewhere around 1,642 and a half-day to today.

- I am closing in on my 10,000th mile since that 1st…what if I would have stopped?
- The first mile probably took close to 25 minutes to complete…I can now run 4 miles in that time!
-Today I have run everyday for 1,097 days in a row, averaging close to 7 miles a day or an hour a day during this streak!

Lately I have been reminded of where I have come from since that day which I attempted the first mile. I know that this journey has only been possible because of God’s grace, and conviction. With Marathon for Missions 3 looming I can honestly say that whatever happens on 7th & 8th of January 2012, I can be proud of one thing, I NEVER STOPPED! Regardless of how much it hurt, or how tired I was…when I felt like giving up I pressed forward and continued to fight for it.

It isn’t easy, BUT IT IS WORTH IT! If you’re thinking about changing this year, getting more active, losing a few pounds, eating healthier, getting healthier, You’ll NEVER REGRET IT.

Invest some sweat, tears (yes, there will be some), sore muscles (You can count on it), blood, & determination and make the change.

I believe Nike says it best, “JUST DO IT!”