One Foot In Front of The Other

It's amazing what you will agree to when you've had a few beverages of the alcohol persuasion.  Things that you would never even remotely consider become the best idea you've ever heard in your entire life.  You start shaking your head up and down with a passionate intensity saying, "Yes, Yes, Yes!!"  You know where this is going, right?

Let me set the scene.  Sunny afternoon.  College friends reunited again.  Tailgating in a parking lot for hours. I'm pretty sure that I would have agreed to anything at that point.  So, when my friend suggested that we all start training for a half marathon, I quickly and enthusiastically replied, "Absolutely!  I'll start training tomorrow!"  Maybe not a big deal for someone who runs, but let's clarify that I am anything BUT a runner. In fact, I couldn't even run a mile in high school when I weighed a little over 100 pounds.  I dreaded those Presidential Fitness Challenges that they held every year in high school, because... let's face it... the gym teacher wasn't going to let me quit until I made my four rounds around that track.  I'm sure she would have stood there all day waiting for me to finish!  But I digress...

Anyway, I'm always someone who stays true to my word.  I made a promise to run a  half marathon in two years, so now I need to get to work.  I got up the gumption to go to the gym today and run three miles.  I swore to myself that I wouldn't leave that treadmill until my three miles were in.  Let me tell you, it wasn't easy and it took me about 40 minutes to do it, but I got it done.  I'm pretty sure my face was beet red, sweat was pouring off of me, and I looked like I was about ready to die (and Lord knows I felt like I was going to die).

As I was running, I was thinking, "This is crazy... you're not a runner... you'll never be able to do this".  And then I pushed all of those negative thoughts from my mind.  "Why NOT me!?".  The only person stopping me from doing this is myself!  Everyone starts somewhere and this is where I'm starting.  So I turned up my music, increased the speed on the treadmill, and kept going... one step at a time.

Today I realized that you have to start somewhere...everyone does.  And if you don't start something, you will never finish.  I also realized that doing something worthwhile is never easy and it takes hard work and determination.  Let's face it, if it were that easy, everyone would be doing it.  So don't be afraid to start.  Don't talk yourself out of something that will be worth it in the end.  Just start... one foot in front of the other... and you will eventually reach your destination.