It works

The Do Something Health Plan was put to the test this morning.  I entered and finished the Tom Ausherman 5 miler in Chambersburg, PA.  I finished in 48:56 (would have been about 30 seconds quicker if I had started closer to the starting line and my son hadn't decided to run/get in my way for the last 100 feet).  It felt great to train for and finish this race.

I am living proof that you don't need to be awesome or physically gifted to get healthier.  I am not fast or possess a great runners body type (my body type would best be described as "not likely to get blown away in high winds", in other words short and roundish like a barrel).  But I finished and finished strong.  I finished around 189 out of 250ish entrants or 189 out of 7 Billion people on planet earth.  I had a goal, I took small steps to reach that goal and I was able to complete the race with my dad in front of family and friends.

The goal to finish and run decently well motivated me to get better sleep, stay hydrated watch my diet and train at least a few times this week.  Goals are great.  Instead of sitting around at the beach in early July I got up early and ran the OC boardwalk. 

Small steps led me to the point where I got to celebrate today.  I got to hear my wife say she was proud of me and that I made her happy as she watched me finish (even if she did mention that several 9-10 year old boys finished about 10 mins ahead of me).  Healthy living is like a bank account.  You need to make small daily and weekly deposits.  Later on after many deposits you will be able to make large withdrawals.  You will have the necessary balance in your account to do something awesome.  What specifically you can do will be different for each person, but trust me, it will be something awesome.  Start dreaming!  What is something you cannot currently do, but would like to be able to do in 6 months or a year?