It has been a few of months since I have updated my health
situation and for that I am sorry. That
being said, the last few months have been phenomenal. Since I last updated everyone in late March,
I have lost another 40 pounds bringing my weight loss total over the past eight
months to 103, surpassing the number the doctor suggested I lose. I hope to be able to lose another 47 over the
next four months. I already am at my
lowest weight in the past fifteen years and hope to get back to my early high
school weight by the end of October.
I returned to the doctor near the end of April and received
great news. The doctor was ecstatic over
how well I was doing and how much weight I had lost. She officially took me off of my diabetes
medication because I had my sugar right where it needed to be. Also, my liver functions were perfect. I can't even begin to tell you how good that
made me feel to hear those things. But
one of the coolest things she told me was that she could tell that I had been
exercising because I now had the heart rate of a runner. My check-up went so well that she told me not
to come back for six months instead of the normal three.
Perhaps the coolest thing that has happened over the past
three months is what I was able to do on May 4 and June 8. These are the dates that I ran my first
5Ks. I was pretty nervous about the
first one. It was the first time I ever
ran outdoors. I had done all my running
on the treadmill so I had no idea of what to expect that morning. I made a huge mistake in the first quarter mile
and was not able to recover until almost halfway through the course. The run started off with a small hill and I
hit it at a dead run and by the time I came down the hill on the other side and
made the turn onto the main road, I was gassed.
It took me probably 15 minutes after that to find my rhythm. I finished the race with a time of 42:35 and
to be honest, I was greatly disappointed.
I was hoping for something in the range of 38:00. But my wonderful wife, Kristy, reminded me
that what I had done was still a major accomplishment. I had done something I had never been able to
do in my life and that was something to be proud of. So after sulking for a few minutes, I was able to get my mind
right and appreciate my accomplishment.
I took advantage of the five weeks between the two races to
change my training methods. I had
intentions of doing more outdoor running but a busy schedule and weather did
not allow that to happen so I had to do all of my training on the treadmill
again. The two things I tried to work on
over this time was more elevation and not holding onto the handrails of the
machine. In the end, I think modifying
my strategy paid dividends. I began the
race on June 8 with a much better pace and was able to run the entire race
without stopping a single time to walk.
Granted, most of the running was the "lineman's shuffle" but
it was still running and I finished the race in 41:19. Again, I was disappointed with my results but
after a minute of sulking, I received a gentle reminder from the Almighty that
he was with me and that I had achieved something fantastic. To say the least it was a calming experience
and one that I really needed.
As always, I know where to go to give thanks for the miracle
that is happening in my life. I would be
nothing without Jesus in my life and even though there have been times I have
neglected Him, I plan on giving Him the proper praise from now on. Isaiah 40:31 tells us, "but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run
and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." That is exactly the way I felt on Saturday,
June 8. I had placed my hope in the Lord,
I ran a complete race like I was on the wings of eagles, and I did not grow weary.
Until next time, I hope you all keep the
faith and God bless!
