Persistence...

"There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream." - Author Unknown

I ran my first 8k race this past weekend. I have entered a few 5k races, I jog 5k 4 days a week, and I have even pushed my self a couple of times to hit 7k. 8k was a stretch for me, I was nervous and scared. They had different starting positions for those that could run a mile in 2min all the way to 10min. I run a mile in about 12min, which is better than last year.

By mile 3 my body wanted to quit. People were passing me, most of them were already on their way back to the finish line. Then the hill came. A steep hill down, cut across a few streets, a steep hill back up. My mind was screaming at me to stop. But my spirit persisted. My legs felt like jelly, but I persisted. People were passing me, but I persisted.

I ran 8k (5mi) in 63min 42sec, the fastest I have ever run before. My 7k jaunts took 70min, I smashed that to hell. I ended up 8th for my age group, and my family was there rooting for me at the end of the race. It was great.

I passed people along the way that quit running and walked. "Desperate house-moms", the "Macho-I-Was-In-The-Military-Back-In-The-Day-I-Can-Handle-8k" older guys, even teenagers. I passed teenagers that had given up. A 270lb fat guy passed teenagers in an 8k race???

Persistence is important, but it is good to know when to stop. The old adage "Winners never quit" is untrue. "Winners KNOW when to quit..."


"I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday." - Author Unknown



Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
"Dead Man Walking: A Weight Loss Journey" e-Book is now available!