Just One More Mile

Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use. ~Earl Nightingale

As I wind down this half marathon training and prepare for the big day (5 days away!!), I find myself thinking back on what has brought me to this point. We started this almost 4 months ago. May 24th. I thought September was such a long way away, and that the odds of sticking with this were slim, but was game for it anyway. I think the key to being successful at this training, was the training program we found and implemented. It was baby steps. The training started us out at 3-4 miles. It kept us at 3-4 miles walking except for one day a week, we'd bump up a mile. One week was 4, then 5, then 6, and then three weeks of 7 to gain confidence in it. And so on. There's no way I could have gone from walking 3 miles to 13 in 4 months without those gradual bumps. I remember every single week we'd bump up a mile, and I'd think, oh its 'just one more mile' than before, I can do that. I can do another 20 minutes max, on up to a 12 mile walk a week and a half ago. And now 4 months have passed since that first 3 miles, and I'm set to walk 'just one more mile'. On Sunday, I'll be walking 13.1 miles, a half marathon. And I have no doubts that I will accomplish this.

Quote for the day:

"I asked God for all things, that I might enjoy life. God gave me life, that I might enjoy all things."

Quote for the day:

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." - Albert Schweitzer - culled from a Sparkpeople email

With that said, I'd like to thank all of you who HAVE inspired me, even if it was unknowingly. Its so hard to get through plateaus without getting so down on yourself, but just knowing how many others out there are going through the same thing really helps (even if they DO get out of theirs before I do...lol). Keep passing your "spark" on, you never know who you might help.

Quote for the day:

"But no matter what, the people who never challenge you have no expectations of you. You may consider them friends but they will never help you grow." (written by a gentleman named Bruce on a Single Parents yahoo group I'm on - gotta give him props for this brilliance!)

Lets think on this one a minute. IMO, this is too true. Your REAL friends should encourage you to be the best YOU can be, not put you down, not show jealousy when you do become the best you can be, or try to sabotage that effort by not being supportive. Maybe I'm interpreting this wrong, but thats how I see it. A real friend, while they might be a smidge envious of your success compared to their own, will root you on, will pick you up when you fall, will care to ask how things are going no matter how they feel about it. But also, they will be upfront with you if they see you taking a wrong direction, gently (or not so gently, lol) nudge you back in line, because they care. If they didn't care, they wouldn't do any of that. They might ask how its going, or mildly inquire about things, but they will never challenge your thinking, your viewpoint, challenge you to analyze things you never thought of. Those are the kind of friends I want to keep around me. Those who do challenge me to be a better person. Thats the kind of friend I strive to be. I fail at it sometimes, but I try.

I want to share a moment with one of my closest friends. There was a decision I was wanting to make (which really would be pretty much against what I believe the Bible tells us), and she told me something along the lines of that she'd still be my friend, but would definitely be disappointed in me if I did it. And I've never forgotten that. I always come back to that if I even think about it, because she cared enough to be real with me and not tiptoe around it. She let her expectations be known and I consider that a testimony of a real friend.

Let me know how YOU interpret the quote and insight you have is always welcome...