This picture here was after completing my first Half Marathon. The man on the left is my friend and Mentor Joe. I wish to one day do half the things he has done. He took me under his wing when I started out. He could have said No but he said that he saw something in me.
Maybe it was the fact that I couldn't (and still can't) say No. I get told I can't so something and it makes me want to do it ever more. So when I hurt my back 6 weeks before my first Half marathon I was devastated. I didn't think I would be able to do it. I rested and after a week and no relief I called my Dr. a week later I got in to see his son and he had told me that is was a deep tissue. I was told that doing the Half would be a bad Idea. He told me to rest and to take some Robax and I would be fine. 2 days after taking them I was walking upright. 3 days after that I was back to running.
With 3 weeks left I stepped up my running. I ran every day 6-10 km a day. Sundays were my long runs. in 2 weeks I went from running 0 km's to my longest run was 18.9 km with my daughter in tow. She rode her bike and was my pack mule (water bottle carrier) and held her own for the whole trip.
This day I ran. I was as ready as I was ever going to be. I knew I needed to just do it. I started running with Joe by my side. I ran 1 km, 3 km's 5 km's, 9 km's and Joe (who already ran the 5 km race that day) told me he would be waiting for me and took off. I ran and ran. I walked a bit and I ran. I hit the 15th km and I could feel myself crashing. I came around the corner and there was a crowd of cadets cheering so loud that they drowned out the music I had on for about 300 feet before and after their cheering station. That pumped me up. I dug deep and I ran.
By Km 19 I crashed. I hit that wall like a fully loaded Semi. I walked. I wished my wife was there. I wished so many things and then I wished to just get it done. That is when I saw Joe He got next to me and he ran with me. He had me running the last km at my fastest ever. I crossed that finish line and I tried to hold it together. I had my sunglasses in my hand and I made sure to put them on so no one could see me crying.
I was crying because I was so proud that I did something that I was once told not to do. I was proud because I could go home and show my kids and say "Hey kids look what daddy did!"
In 2013 I have done some awesome things like running my first Triathlon, and cycling allot but I just haven't had the success that I did when I was running before. So what does that mean? What is coming in the future? Well in 2013 I
2014 will be the year of ME!
There was a time I was a Champion in my own mind.
Now it is time to become one again.
~ ME
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