Do you remember “the mile” in high school? I do – and painfully so. I was the fat kid who couldn’t run even a quarter of the way. I was huffing and puffing, red in the face, sick to my stomach, walking as fast as I could, but left behind. Everybody else finished way before me. I could see them standing around waiting for me to finally drag myself in.
It made me feel sad and humiliated. I hated running.
If you would’ve told that girl in 20 years she’d be running a half marathon she would never have believed you. No, not in a million years could she have imagined running a mile, much less 13 miles.
Well, today I ran the Harrisburg Half Marathon. The 13 mile course was no problem. I kept a strong, steady pace in the middle of the pack. (I was so afraid I’d be the last one to finish and get lost in Harrisburg!) I even had enough energy left to take my speed up for the last mile and sprint the final yards to the finish line.
It was an amazing feeling. I had really done it – and without any problem. All those weeks of training paid off. And, I’ll tell you, it was the best I’ve ever felt about running. I wasn’t last – and I certainly wasn’t walking with everybody else waiting around for me to finish.
I hope my story encourages you that no matter what shape you’re in now, you can change. You can go beyond losing a little weight to becoming very fit and strong. If you are determined in your heart to change, you too can shed the past and accomplish things you never believed possible.
